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20160525008039A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Rolladen-Schneider OHG LS3-A · Blairstown, NJ · May 25, 2016

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 25, 2016 · 13:30 local
Place
Blairstown, NJ
Airport
Blairstown
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N63761
NTSB investigation
NTSBGAA16CA261
Reported as
Rolladen-Schneider OHG LS3-A
Reported engine
NONE NONE
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
225 total18 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days
N63761Registered now · Rolladen-Schneider OHG LS3-AS/N 3286Airframe modelRolladen-Schneider OHG LS3-AEngine modelNONENone

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.

Pilot departed in glider from Blairstown Airport (1N7), Blairstown, NJ around 1300 local time. Pilot released the tow, crossed over (1N7), and turned north to begin a cross country to wurstboro airport (N82). Unable to find any thermals along the ridgeline, the pilot decided to return to Blairstown(1N7). The glider entered an area of moderately sinking air. The pilot realized he could not make Blairstown and he decided to try landing out in a field. While in a left base to final turn, the aircrafts left wing hit the trees, spun the aircraft 270 degrees, and dropped straight down approximately 30 feet to ground. The right wing tip impacted first leaving a hole in ground, followed by the fuselage pivoting and dropping to the ground, landing level and upright. The aircraft came to rest facing a magnetic heading of 106 degrees. The location was 5.4 NM north east of the Blairstown Airport. The elevation was 940 feet MSL. Although injured, the pilot contacted another glider and extracted himself from the wreckage.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT DEPARTED IN GLIDER FROM BLAIRSTOWN AIRPORT (1N7), BLAIRSTOWN, NJ AROUND 1300 LOCAL TIME. PILOT RELEASED THE TOW, CROSSED OVER (1N7), AND TURNED NORTH TO BEGIN A CROSS COUNTRY TO WURSTBORO AIRPORT (N82). UNABLE TO FIND ANY THERMALS ALONG THE RIDGELINE, THE PILOT DECIDED TO RETURN TO BLAIRSTOWN(1N7). THE GLIDER ENTERED AN AREA OF MODERATELY SINKING AIR. THE PILOT REALIZED HE COULD NOT MAKE BLAIRSTOWN AND HE DECIDED TO TRY LANDING OUT IN A FIELD. WHILE IN A LEFT BASE TO FINAL TURN, THE AIRCRAFTS LEFT WING HIT THE TREES, SPUN THE AIRCRAFT 270 DEGREES, AND DROPPED STRAIGHT DOWN APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET TO GROUND. THE RIGHT WING TIP IMPACTED FIRST LEAVING A HOLE IN GROUND, FOLLOWED BY THE FUSELAGE PIVOTING AND DROPPING TO THE GROUND, LANDING LEVEL AND UPRIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST FACING A MAGNETIC HEADING OF 106 DEGREES. THE LOCATION WAS 5.4 NM NORTH EAST OF THE BLAIRSTOWN AIRPORT. THE ELEVATION WAS 940 FEET MSL. ALTHOUGH INJURED, THE PILOT CONTACTED ANOTHER GLIDER AND EXTRACTED HIMSELF FROM THE WRECKAGE.

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 GAA16CA261Accident · Serious injuriesData collectionFinal reportBlairstown, NJThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees on final.May 25, 2016 · Substantial damage