What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot had been flying for about three hours in a glider when he lost sufficient thermal activity to stay aloft. The pilot selected Luscombe Airport, a private grass landing strip had once used. The pilot circled over the selected landing site to ensure its suitability for landing. The pilot entered the traffic pattern and landed. Upon landing, it was discovered that the grass strip had not been mowed in some time as the grass was, ?waist high?, obscuring the pilot?s view from the cockpit. It was not possible for the pilot to determine the height of the grass on the runway from the air. The airport is listed on the current dfw sectional chart as well as the dfw terminal area chart. There were no NOTAMS relative Luscombe Airport. With no center line reference, the aircraft veered to the right and struck a fence post. The right wing and fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilot was not injured.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT HAD BEEN FLYING FOR ABOUT THREE HOURS IN A GLIDER WHEN HE LOST SUFFICIENT THERMAL ACTIVITY TO STAY ALOFT. THE PILOT SELECTED LUSCOMBE AIRPORT, A PRIVATE GRASS LANDING STRIP HAD ONCE USED. THE PILOT CIRCLED OVER THE SELECTED LANDING SITE TO ENSURE ITS SUITABILITY FOR LANDING. THE PILOT ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND LANDED. UPON LANDING, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE GRASS STRIP HAD NOT BEEN MOWED IN SOME TIME AS THE GRASS WAS, ?WAIST HIGH?, OBSCURING THE PILOT?S VIEW FROM THE COCKPIT. IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE FOR THE PILOT TO DETERMINE THE HEIGHT OF THE GRASS ON THE RUNWAY FROM THE AIR. THE AIRPORT IS LISTED ON THE CURRENT DFW SECTIONAL CHART AS WELL AS THE DFW TERMINAL AREA CHART. THERE WERE NO NOTAMS RELATIVE LUSCOMBE AIRPORT. WITH NO CENTER LINE REFERENCE, THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE RIGHT AND STRUCK A FENCE POST. THE RIGHT WING AND FUSELAGE WERE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.