What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Mr. Bruekner was towed to 2500 feet mean sea level (MSL) and was released for soaring. He found updrafts and climbed to 9000 feet MSL. Mr. Bruekner encountered a severe downdraft approximately 5 miles west of lake pleasant. This downdraft lasted a few moments. He immediately turned toward pleasant valley airport (P48). Mr. Bruekner then encountered another severe downdraft producing sink rates of up to 1200 feet per minute. He tried to make left and right turns, and increased indicated airspeed (IAS) to minimize time in the downdraft. He realized he would not be able to return to pleasant valley airport, and began to look for a suitable landing spot. Being easter Sunday, Mr. Bruekner stated the highways were too congested to land on, and the surrounding terrain was mountainous. He chose to land the glider on the lake. Mr. Bruekner received a complete soaring briefing from the website xc-soar. Com, including thermal activity. He sat down with a glider instructor and reviewed his briefing. His preflight planning showed a concentric circle (a safety factor circle of glide distance) that would have allowed him to easily return to pleasant valley, had he not encountered the downdraft.
As the FAA filed it
MR. BRUEKNER WAS TOWED TO 2500 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL) AND WAS RELEASED FOR SOARING. HE FOUND UPDRAFTS AND CLIMBED TO 9000 FEET MSL. MR. BRUEKNER ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE DOWNDRAFT APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES WEST OF LAKE PLEASANT. THIS DOWNDRAFT LASTED A FEW MOMENTS. HE IMMEDIATELY TURNED TOWARD PLEASANT VALLEY AIRPORT (P48). MR. BRUEKNER THEN ENCOUNTERED ANOTHER SEVERE DOWNDRAFT PRODUCING SINK RATES OF UP TO 1200 FEET PER MINUTE. HE TRIED TO MAKE LEFT AND RIGHT TURNS, AND INCREASED INDICATED AIRSPEED (IAS) TO MINIMIZE TIME IN THE DOWNDRAFT. HE REALIZED HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RETURN TO PLEASANT VALLEY AIRPORT, AND BEGAN TO LOOK FOR A SUITABLE LANDING SPOT. BEING EASTER SUNDAY, MR. BRUEKNER STATED THE HIGHWAYS WERE TOO CONGESTED TO LAND ON, AND THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN WAS MOUNTAINOUS. HE CHOSE TO LAND THE GLIDER ON THE LAKE.MR. BRUEKNER RECEIVED A COMPLETE SOARING BRIEFING FROM THE WEBSITE XC-SOAR.COM, INCLUDING THERMAL ACTIVITY. HE SAT DOWN WITH A GLIDER INSTRUCTOR AND REVIEWED HIS BRIEFING. HIS PREFLIGHT PLANNING SHOWED A CONCENTRIC CIRCLE (A SAFETY FACTOR CIRCLE OF GLIDE DISTANCE) THAT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED HIM TO EASILY RETURN TO PLEASANT VALLEY, HAD HE NOT ENCOUNTERED THE DOWNDRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.