What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Glider, N3617U, launched from the bih airport on June 27, 2012 via aero tow at about 1430 local and was towed to an altitude of 3000 feet AGL above the white mountains. Soaring flight was maintained for about 1.5 hours reaching an altitude of 12,200 feet. On return to bih an approach to runway 16 was planned, but a significant sink was encountered necessitating an off airport landing. Landing was made in a pasture and shortly after touchdown the right wing tip contacted the ground putting the nose into the ground with a tail high attitude then coming to a rest with a hard tail strike. Substantial damage was sustained to the nose, wings and tailboom structures. No injury to the solo pilot.
As the FAA filed it
GLIDER, N3617U, LAUNCHED FROM THE BIH AIRPORT ON JUNE 27, 2012 VIA AERO TOW AT ABOUT 1430 LOCAL AND WAS TOWED TO AN ALTITUDE OF 3000 FEET AGL ABOVE THE WHITE MOUNTAINS. SOARING FLIGHT WAS MAINTAINED FOR ABOUT 1.5 HOURS REACHING AN ALTITUDE OF 12,200 FEET. ON RETURN TO BIH AN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 16 WAS PLANNED, BUT A SIGNIFICANT SINK WAS ENCOUNTERED NECESSITATING AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING. LANDING WAS MADE IN A PASTURE AND SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE RIGHT WING TIP CONTACTED THE GROUND PUTTING THE NOSE INTO THE GROUND WITH A TAIL HIGH ATTITUDE THEN COMING TO A REST WITH A HARD TAIL STRIKE. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED TO THE NOSE, WINGS AND TAILBOOM STRUCTURES. NO INJURY TO THE SOLO 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.
Other reports on N3617U · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.