# Accident 20090423009309A: Rolsch LS818, Fairfield, PA, April 23, 2009

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 23, 2009, 09:58 local time
- Place: Fairfield, PA
- Airport: Mid Atlantic Soaring Center
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.7542° N, 77.3506° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.7542&lon=-77.3506&mi=10
- Aircraft: N818FM, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N818FM-2018-01-29) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Rolladen-Schneider LS8-18 (registry code 3801267, https://openairdocs.org/model/rolladen-schneider-ls8-18) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROLSCH LS818
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 10,400 total, 0 in this make and model, 0 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA09CA259](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09CA259) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090423009309A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) THE PILOT WAS PARTICIPATING IN HIS FIRST GROUP EVENT AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS OF GLIDER INACTIVITY.  ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS THE FIRST OF FOUR GLIDERS LAUNCHED.  THE SECOND AND THIRD GLIDERS LAUNCHED ENCOUNTERED GOOD LIFT CONDITIONS AND CONTINUED ON TOWARD ALTOONA, PA. BUT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DECIDED TO RETURN TO FIELD.  WIND CONDITIONS CHANGED SINCE THE TIME OF LAUNCH FROM 10 KNOTS AT 290-300 DEGREES TO GUSTS FROM 18 TO THE MID-TWENTIES, IN THE SAME DIRECTION.  THE WIND SOCK, LOCATED NEAR THE APPROACH OF RUNWAY 15, WAS NOT VISIBLE TO AIRCRAFT ON THE APPROACH TO RUNWAY 33.  ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ GLIDER CRASHED TURNING FINAL FOR RUNWAY 33, ABOUT 400 YARDS SHORT OF THE RUNWAY.  A NEARBY TREE LINE PARALLEL TO THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY IS KNOWN TO CAUSE TURBULENCE UNDER SIMILAR WIND CONDITIONS.  GROUND IMPACT MARKS ARE CONSISTENT WITH A STEEP APPROACH ANGLE.  ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD UNDERGONE SEVERAL BACK SURGERIES AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT AND DOES NOT HAVE A CLEAR RECOLLECTION OF EVENTS.  AN AMENDED REPORT WILL BE FILED DUE TO MISSING INFORMATION IN ITEMS, 13, 29 AND 31.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA09CA259](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09CA259), Apr 23, 2009: Rolladen-Schneider LS8-18 (N818FM), Fairfield, PA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while turning on to final approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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