What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 23, 2018, about 1408 MST, N7880, a Schempp-Hirth, Standard Cirrus glider, sustained substantial damage after impact with terrain while maneuvering near the sampley?s airport (28AZ), Aguila, Arizona. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant of the glider, sustained fatal injuries.
Observed by witnesses the aircraft departed the upwind and turned right crosswind for the downwind. The aircraft was about around 1,000 ft above the ground while on the downwind as observed by witnesses and the aircraft then neared the approach end of runway traveling west and next made a right bank with two right 360 degree turns while at 400 ft above the ground. Witnesses saw the aircraft then abruptly pitched 60 degrees nose down and completed two spins before losing sight of the aircraft about 100 feet above the ground. Examination of the Schempp-Hirth Standard Cirrus glider N7880 serial # 80 revealed that the landing gear and spoilers were deployed after impact. The aircraft obtained substantial damage during the vertical nose impact with terrain creating leading edge marks in the ground. The aircraft flipped over onto the t-type tail causing the empennage to break a couple feet from the vertical stabilizer. Forward fuselage was destroyed by the impact causing the sole pilot onboard to suffer fatal injuries on impact. Wear marks were observed on metal ends of a push pull rod connecting the right aileron to the bell crank housing. Damage around the swedge pin hole where these 2 pieces separated caused concern to the investigation for further analysis by a metallurgic lab by the NTSB in order to be conclusive in determining causal factors. No other damage indicators were found on the rest of the flight control system.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 23, 2018, ABOUT 1408 MST, N7880, A SCHEMPP-HIRTH, STANDARD CIRRUS GLIDER, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFTER IMPACT WITH TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR THE SAMPLEY?S AIRPORT (28AZ), AGUILA, ARIZONA. THE PRIVATE PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE GLIDER, SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES.
OBSERVED BY WITNESSES THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE UPWIND AND TURNED RIGHT CROSSWIND FOR THE DOWNWIND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT AROUND 1,000 FT ABOVE THE GROUND WHILE ON THE DOWNWIND AS OBSERVED BY WITNESSES AND THE AIRCRAFT THEN NEARED THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY TRAVELING WEST AND NEXT MADE A RIGHT BANK WITH TWO RIGHT 360 DEGREE TURNS WHILE AT 400 FT ABOVE THE GROUND. WITNESSES SAW THE AIRCRAFT THEN ABRUPTLY PITCHED 60 DEGREES NOSE DOWN AND COMPLETED TWO SPINS BEFORE LOSING SIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT ABOUT 100 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. EXAMINATION OF THE SCHEMPP-HIRTH STANDARD CIRRUS GLIDER N7880 SERIAL # 80 REVEALED THAT THE LANDING GEAR AND SPOILERS WERE DEPLOYED AFTER IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT OBTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING THE VERTICAL NOSE IMPACT WITH TERRAIN CREATING LEADING EDGE MARKS IN THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER ONTO THE T-TYPE TAIL CAUSING THE EMPENNAGE TO BREAK A COUPLE FEET FROM THE VERTICAL STABILIZER. FORWARD FUSELAGE WAS DESTROYED BY THE IMPACT CAUSING THE SOLE PILOT ONBOARD TO SUFFER FATAL INJURIES ON IMPACT. WEAR MARKS WERE OBSERVED ON METAL ENDS OF A PUSH PULL ROD CONNECTING THE RIGHT AILERON TO THE BELL CRANK HOUSING. DAMAGE AROUND THE SWEDGE PIN HOLE WHERE THESE 2 PIECES SEPARATED CAUSED CONCERN TO THE INVESTIGATION FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS BY A METALLURGIC LAB BY THE NTSB IN ORDER TO BE CONCLUSIVE IN DETERMINING CAUSAL FACTORS. NO OTHER DAMAGE INDICATORS WERE FOUND ON THE REST OF THE FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.