20130412007509A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Schleicher ASW-27 · Middletown, CA · April 12, 2013

Date: April 12, 2013 · 13:15 local
Place: Middletown, CA
Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N503CW
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR13CA218
Reported as: Schleicher ASW-27
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,735 total1,134 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days

N503CWRegistered now · Schleicher ASW-27S/N 27165 Airframe modelSchleicher ASW-27

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.

Glider was released at 4000 ft. pilot flew until lift began to decrease. Pilot headed back to airport and encourtered heavy downdraft. Was unable to streach glide to airport and elected to land in a field enroute to the airfield. On landing encountered rough ground which caused the glider to ground loop, causing extensive damage to the glider.

As the FAA filed it

GLIDER WAS RELEASED AT 4000 FT. PILOT FLEW UNTIL LIFT BEGAN TO DECREASE. PILOT HEADED BACK TO AIRPORT AND ENCOURTERED HEAVY DOWNDRAFT. WAS UNABLE TO STREACH GLIDE TO AIRPORT AND ELECTED TO LAND IN A FIELD ENROUTE TO THE AIRFIELD. ON LANDING ENCOUNTERED ROUGH GROUND WHICH CAUSED THE GLIDER TO GROUND LOOP, CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE GLIDER.

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 WPR13CA218Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportMiddletown, CAThe glider’s encounter with atmospheric lift conditions not sufficient to maintain flight, which resulted in a forced landing on rough terrain.Apr 12, 2013 · Substantial damage