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20180710010819A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Schempp-Hirth DISCUS CS · Goldfield, NV · July 10, 2018

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 10, 2018 · 16:00 local
Place
Goldfield, NV
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N104TH
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR18TA192
Reported as
Schempp-Hirth Discus CS
Reported engine
NONE NONE
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
N104THRegistration cancelled Apr 14, 2020 · Schempp-Hirth DISCUS CSS/N 287 CS · Built 2001Airframe modelSchempp-Hirth DISCUS CSEngine 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.

On July 10, 2018, about 1832 pacific daylight time, a Schempp Hirth Discus Cs glider, N104TH, ground looped during a forced off airport landing, following a loss of lift, near Goldfield, Nevada. The commercial pilot sustained serious injuries. The glider sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The glider was registered to SPARROWHAWK21 LLC. And operated by the pilot as a title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal cross country flight.

Visual meteorological conditions existed about the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from tonopah airport (tph), tonopah, Nevada about 1330.

The pilot reported that he deviated to an alternate airport, due to deteriorating weather. While attempting to reach his selected off airport landing site, he encountered continuous sinking air. He realized that he would not make it and made the choice to land on a nearby road. During the landing touchdown the right wing impacted a dirt berm that paralleled the road, which caused a ground loop. The glider cartwheeled and came to rest inverted.

As the FAA filed it

ON JULY 10, 2018, ABOUT 1832 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A SCHEMPP HIRTH DISCUS CS GLIDER, N104TH, GROUND LOOPED DURING A FORCED OFF AIRPORT LANDING, FOLLOWING A LOSS OF LIFT, NEAR GOLDFIELD, NEVADA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE GLIDER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE AND BOTH WINGS. THE GLIDER WAS REGISTERED TO SPARROWHAWK21 LLC. AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT.

VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM TONOPAH AIRPORT (TPH), TONOPAH, NEVADA ABOUT 1330.

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE DEVIATED TO AN ALTERNATE AIRPORT, DUE TO DETERIORATING WEATHER. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REACH HIS SELECTED OFF AIRPORT LANDING SITE, HE ENCOUNTERED CONTINUOUS SINKING AIR. HE REALIZED THAT HE WOULD NOT MAKE IT AND MADE THE CHOICE TO LAND ON A NEARBY ROAD. DURING THE LANDING TOUCHDOWN THE RIGHT WING IMPACTED A DIRT BERM THAT PARALLELED THE ROAD, WHICH CAUSED A GROUND LOOP. THE GLIDER CARTWHEELED AND CAME TO REST INVERTED.

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 WPR18TA192Accident · Serious injuriesFinal reportGoldfield, NVThe glider’s encounter with atmospheric lift conditions that were not sufficient to maintain flight, which necessitated a forced landing on uneven terrain.Jul 11, 2018 · Substantial damage