What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
05/21/2012ON may 18, 2012, the eastern region operations center (roc) contacted the allegheny flight standards district office (agc) to advise that N900BM, a Schempp-Hirth ventus 2CT sailplane, serial number 206, had crashed in a remote area of blair county, Pennsylvania. The pilot, privacy data omitted was injured in the landing and was removed by first responders from the scene. On may 21, 2012, I was dispatched from agc to the crash area. While en route, I contacted the roc andprivacy data omitted of the duncansville pa volunteer fire department who was on duty and received the initial 911 call of the accident and was instrumental in the rescue of privacy data omitted. Due to the remoteness of the crash scene, I could not gain access to the aircraft on that date. I spoke with privacy data omitted at 17:13. I askedprivacy data omitted if he could determine the cause of the accident; whether pilot error or mechanical failure. privacy data omitted Reported immediately that it was pilot error. privacy data omitted Stated that he had departed mifflin county airport (rvl), reedsville, PA as part of a sailplane event. He was soaring along the ridge southeast of the crash site attempting to gain lift over a ridgeline that would enable him to reach a higher ridge just to the west. He could see wind turbines that were turning and expected to find the additional lift he needed there. Unfortunately, he did not find the anticipated lift he needed and in fact encountered a down draft, as he stated. He then contacted tree tops and entered a nose down left wing low attitude and impacted trees and then the ground. The right wing was broken by tree trunks, the left wing was impaled by other trees and the fuselage was broken about four feet behind the canopy from the impact. The aircraft nose was crushed by the nearly vertical collision angle. privacy data omittedHad complained to first responders that he may have broken fingers or a hand and had perhaps a broken rib. privacy data omittedWas flown to the altoona regional hospital where he was diagnosed with a fracture of the #12 vertebrae but no serious injury of the hand or to his ribs. Photographs that were made available to me - taken by first responders -depicted the accident scene sufficiently. I made the decision not to attempt access to the remote site due to the adverse conditions and terrain. The aircraft was removed by a part 133 helicopter operator on may 25, 2012, with the assistance of an aircraft recovery company and placed at blue knob valley airport (7G4), Newry, PA. Note: (airman postal code is K9A 4Q5)
As the FAA filed it
05/21/2012ON MAY 18, 2012, THE EASTERN REGION OPERATIONS CENTER (ROC) CONTACTED THE ALLEGHENY FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE (AGC) TO ADVISE THAT N900BM, A SCHEMPP-HIRTH VENTUS 2CT SAILPLANE, SERIAL NUMBER 206, HAD CRASHED IN A REMOTE AREA OF BLAIR COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. THE PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS INJURED IN THE LANDING AND WAS REMOVED BY FIRST RESPONDERS FROM THE SCENE.ON MAY 21, 2012, I WAS DISPATCHED FROM AGC TO THE CRASH AREA. WHILE EN ROUTE, I CONTACTED THE ROC AND^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE DUNCANSVILLE PA VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO WAS ON DUTY AND RECEIVED THE INITIAL 911 CALL OF THE ACCIDENT AND WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE RESCUE OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. DUE TO THE REMOTENESS OF THE CRASH SCENE, I COULD NOT GAIN ACCESS TO THE AIRCRAFT ON THAT DATE. I SPOKE WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AT 17:13. I ASKED^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IF HE COULD DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT; WHETHER PILOT ERROR OR MECHANICAL FAILURE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REPORTED IMMEDIATELY THAT IT WAS PILOT ERROR. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE HAD DEPARTED MIFFLIN COUNTY AIRPORT (RVL), REEDSVILLE, PA AS PART OF A SAILPLANE EVENT. HE WAS SOARING ALONG THE RIDGE SOUTHEAST OF THE CRASH SITE ATTEMPTING TO GAIN LIFT OVER A RIDGELINE THAT WOULD ENABLE HIM TO REACH A HIGHER RIDGE JUST TO THE WEST. HE COULD SEE WIND TURBINES THAT WERE TURNING AND EXPECTED TO FIND THE ADDITIONAL LIFT HE NEEDED THERE. UNFORTUNATELY, HE DID NOT FIND THE ANTICIPATED LIFT HE NEEDED AND IN FACT ENCOUNTERED A DOWN DRAFT, AS HE STATED. HE THEN CONTACTED TREE TOPS AND ENTERED A NOSE DOWN LEFT WING LOW ATTITUDE AND IMPACTED TREES AND THEN THE GROUND. THE RIGHT WING WAS BROKEN BY TREE TRUNKS, THE LEFT WING WAS IMPALED BY OTHER TREES AND THE FUSELAGE WAS BROKEN ABOUT FOUR FEET BEHIND THE CANOPY FROM THE IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT NOSE WAS CRUSHED BY THE NEARLY VERTICAL COLLISION ANGLE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^HAD COMPLAINED TO FIRST RESPONDERS THAT HE MAY HAVE BROKEN FINGERS OR A HAND AND HAD PERHAPS A BROKEN RIB. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^WAS FLOWN TO THE ALTOONA REGIONAL HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A FRACTURE OF THE #12 VERTEBRAE BUT NO SERIOUS INJURY OF THE HAND OR TO HIS RIBS.PHOTOGRAPHS THAT WERE MADE AVAILABLE TO ME - TAKEN BY FIRST RESPONDERS -DEPICTED THE ACCIDENT SCENE SUFFICIENTLY. I MADE THE DECISION NOT TO ATTEMPT ACCESS TO THE REMOTE SITE DUE TO THE ADVERSE CONDITIONS AND TERRAIN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED BY A PART 133 HELICOPTER OPERATOR ON MAY 25, 2012, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF AN AIRCRAFT RECOVERY COMPANY AND PLACED AT BLUE KNOB VALLEY AIRPORT (7G4), NEWRY, PA. NOTE: (AIRMAN POSTAL CODE IS K9A 4Q5)
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.