# Accident 20180623007659A: Schempp-Hirth STANDARD CIRRUS, Aguila, AZ, June 23, 2018

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 23, 2018, 14:00 local time
- Place: Aguila, AZ
- Airport: Sampley'S
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.9308° N, 113.1781° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.9308&lon=-113.1781&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7880, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7880-2021-09-04) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Schempp-Hirth STANDARD CIRRUS (registry code 38019VE, https://openairdocs.org/model/schempp-hirth-standard-cirrus) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: SCHEMPP-HIRTH STANDARD CIRRUS
- Reported engine: NONE NONE
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,154 total, 188 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR18FA178](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR18FA178) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180623007659A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR18FA178](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR18FA178), Jun 23, 2018: Schempp-Hirth Standard Cirrus (N7880), Aguila, AZ, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's exceedance of the glider's critical angle of attack while attempting a thermal climb at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin at an altitude that precluded recovery.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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