What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Flight review was being conducted in N103GH. Both occupants of the aircraft are glider rated pilots. Pilot 1 was instructing pilot 2. This was the second fight and second day of instruction received within 30 days after pilot 2'S long absence from flying. The objective of the lesson was pilot proficiency.
Weather was VFR with clear, convective atmosphere conducive to glider operations. Pilot statement indicates the 5C1 METAR as: wind 160 9 gust 14, clear, temperature 33/18, 29.92, density altitude 3,700 MSL.
On approach to runway 17 N103GH did not have had enough altitude to overcome descending air and/or possible wind shear. Spoilers were retracted and attitude adjusted to recover the approach path. The aircraft struck the top of the airport boundary fence. The impact of two steel t fence posts by the right wing and main wheel snagging the top wire of mesh fencing decelerating the aircraft to near stall speed and momentum of the aircraft. The aircraft impacted the ground slightly right of center line approximately heading 20 to 30 degrees right in a firm landing leaving main gear ground scar approximately 150 feet beyond fence 150 feet short of the runway 17 threshold. A ground loop ensued. The clockwise momentum and degridated airspeed resulted in a loss of control. As the aircraft rotated, it slid into a culvert and the main landing gear wheel pivoted into the embankment.
The energy was enough to separate the empenage from the fueselage and break the left wing tip. The fence posts damaged the right wing tip and leading edge of the right wing. The rudder and elevator assemblies are damaged. Flight controls were connected and functioned normally. Elevator and rudder push rod assemblies were bent during empenage being separated.
As the FAA filed it
FLIGHT REVIEW WAS BEING CONDUCTED IN N103GH. BOTH OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT ARE GLIDER RATED PILOTS. PILOT 1 WAS INSTRUCTING PILOT 2. THIS WAS THE SECOND FIGHT AND SECOND DAY OF INSTRUCTION RECEIVED WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER PILOT 2'S LONG ABSENCE FROM FLYING. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE LESSON WAS PILOT PROFICIENCY.
WEATHER WAS VFR WITH CLEAR, CONVECTIVE ATMOSPHERE CONDUCIVE TO GLIDER OPERATIONS. PILOT STATEMENT INDICATES THE 5C1 METAR AS: WIND 160 9 GUST 14, CLEAR, TEMPERATURE 33/18, 29.92, DENSITY ALTITUDE 3,700 MSL.
ON APPROACH TO RUNWAY 17 N103GH DID NOT HAVE HAD ENOUGH ALTITUDE TO OVERCOME DESCENDING AIR AND/OR POSSIBLE WIND SHEAR. SPOILERS WERE RETRACTED AND ATTITUDE ADJUSTED TO RECOVER THE APPROACH PATH. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE TOP OF THE AIRPORT BOUNDARY FENCE. THE IMPACT OF TWO STEEL T FENCE POSTS BY THE RIGHT WING AND MAIN WHEEL SNAGGING THE TOP WIRE OF MESH FENCING DECELERATING THE AIRCRAFT TO NEAR STALL SPEED AND MOMENTUM OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND SLIGHTLY RIGHT OF CENTER LINE APPROXIMATELY HEADING 20 TO 30 DEGREES RIGHT IN A FIRM LANDING LEAVING MAIN GEAR GROUND SCAR APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET BEYOND FENCE 150 FEET SHORT OF THE RUNWAY 17 THRESHOLD. A GROUND LOOP ENSUED. THE CLOCKWISE MOMENTUM AND DEGRIDATED AIRSPEED RESULTED IN A LOSS OF CONTROL. AS THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED, IT SLID INTO A CULVERT AND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEEL PIVOTED INTO THE EMBANKMENT.
THE ENERGY WAS ENOUGH TO SEPARATE THE EMPENAGE FROM THE FUESELAGE AND BREAK THE LEFT WING TIP. THE FENCE POSTS DAMAGED THE RIGHT WING TIP AND LEADING EDGE OF THE RIGHT WING. THE RUDDER AND ELEVATOR ASSEMBLIES ARE DAMAGED. FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE CONNECTED AND FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. ELEVATOR AND RUDDER PUSH ROD ASSEMBLIES WERE BENT DURING EMPENAGE BEING SEPARATED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.