20130330006109A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Schleicher Alexander K 7 · Littlefield, TX · March 30, 2013

Date: March 30, 2013 · 15:45 local
Place: Littlefield, TX
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N12053
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN13FA213
Reported as: Schleicher Alexander K 7
Reported engine: N/A N/A
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 22,000 total

N12053Registration cancelled Feb 28, 2014 · Schleicher Alexander K 7S/N 7205 Airframe modelSchleicher Alexander K 7

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The aircraft was being operated by a commercial pilot with one passenger when approximately 12 feet of the right wing (with the aileron attached) broke off in flight. The aircraft impacted terrain shortly afterward. Winds were approximately 5 to 10 knots at about 340 degrees.

Numerous small pieces of internal wooden ribs, fabric covering and internal wooden structure and trim were scattered across the 5,400 foot ground track to the main wreckage site.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT WITH ONE PASSENGER WHEN APPROXIMATELY 12 FEET OF THE RIGHT WING (WITH THE AILERON ATTACHED) BROKE OFF IN FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TERRAIN SHORTLY AFTERWARD. WINDS WERE APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 KNOTS AT ABOUT 340 DEGREES.

NUMEROUS SMALL PIECES OF INTERNAL WOODEN RIBS, FABRIC COVERING AND INTERNAL WOODEN STRUCTURE AND TRIM WERE SCATTERED ACROSS THE 5,400 FOOT GROUND TRACK TO THE MAIN WRECKAGE SITE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN13FA213Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportLittlefield, TXThe pilot’s improper decision to conduct aerobatic maneuvers in a glider not approved for such maneuvers. Contributing to the accident was the degradation of the adhesive holding the wing together, which should have been detected either during the last annual…Mar 30, 2013 · Substantial damage