What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 04-24-10, N500JN received substantial damage when the pilot conducted an off-site landing 6.6NM northwest of El Tiro Gliderport, AZ (AZ67). The pilot received no injuries. The pilot reported smelling fumes associated with electrical components then a loss of GPS, radio, and variometer. Pilot then encountered a sink and the resulting altitude loss reduced the glide range to a point where could not make the Gliderport. The pilot landed in a grouping of trees that lessened the damage from surrounding uneven/rocky terrain features; however, a tree branch caused damage to the wing. Post accident investigation by glider recovery personnel found the main (master) circuit breaker popped, opening the electrical circuit to the avionics. An improper installation of the portable data logger prior to flight by the pilot appears to have contributed to the electrical failure. The power cable was found to be pinched between the canopy and the fuselage, causing a short circuit and the fumes smelled by the pilot.
As the FAA filed it
ON 04-24-10, N500JN RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN THE PILOT CONDUCTED AN OFF-SITE LANDING 6.6NM NORTHWEST OF EL TIRO GLIDERPORT, AZ (AZ67). THE PILOT RECEIVED NO INJURIES. THE PILOT REPORTED SMELLING FUMES ASSOCIATED WITH ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS THEN A LOSS OF GPS, RADIO, AND VARIOMETER. PILOT THEN ENCOUNTERED A SINK AND THE RESULTING ALTITUDE LOSS REDUCED THE GLIDE RANGE TO A POINT WHERE COULD NOT MAKE THE GLIDERPORT. THE PILOT LANDED IN A GROUPING OF TREES THAT LESSENED THE DAMAGE FROM SURROUNDING UNEVEN/ROCKY TERRAIN FEATURES; HOWEVER, A TREE BRANCH CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE WING. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BY GLIDER RECOVERY PERSONNEL FOUND THE MAIN (MASTER) CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED, OPENING THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT TO THE AVIONICS. AN IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE PORTABLE DATA LOGGER PRIOR TO FLIGHT BY THE PILOT APPEARS TO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE POWER CABLE WAS FOUND TO BE PINCHED BETWEEN THE CANOPY AND THE FUSELAGE, CAUSING A SHORT CIRCUIT AND THE FUMES SMELLED BY THE PILOT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.