What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 5/31/2021 at approximately 14:00 local time, N912B sustained substantial damage during the rollout after a hard landing on runway 27 at P15. The student pilot was the only person on board and did not suffer any injuries. The aircraft touched down at approximately 350 feet beyond the displaced threshold on the grass runway and began to veer to the left. The right wing leading edge struck a runway edge light to the left of the runway and the aircraft continued to veer left. The right wing outermost leading edge and wing tip then struck a culvert which began turning the aircraft to the right. The left wing tip came in contact with a taxiway light upon coming to a stop. There was no apparent visual damage to the fuselage from the hard landing; however, the long wingspan appeared to act as a lever as the right wing struck the runway light and the culvert, causing severe distortion and buckling damage on the right side fuselage skin above, below and behind the right wing root. The right inboard upper wing skin was distorted and torn, and rivet head detachment was observed over the right wing main spar fitting. Additional structural damage occurred to the right wing outermost leading edge caused by the culvert. The right wing leading edge was dented in at midspan, and dislodging of the underwing speed brake panel occurred caused by the runway edge light. -dfm
Investigation results from interview with the PIC:
-The PIC was interviewed on 06/21/2021 at 11:12 am et by dmr, ops ASI. The interview lasted 35 minutes.
-The PIC mentioned that the winds were variable at the time of the flight.
-The PIC confirmed that the landing took place on runway 27 at KP15 (broken straw airport in pa).
-The PIC did not experience any issues with takeoff.
-At approximately 4,200 ft., the glider was released from the tow.
-The flight lasted approximately 1.5 hours.
-The PIC was practicing turns and thermalling during the flight.
-The glider almost reached 6,000 ft. the PIC said that he kept the airport in sight the entire flight.
-During the flight, the PIC mentioned that he experienced discomfort in his right calf muscle. He said that the cramping pain might have been caused from his body not being properly hydrated.
-When the PIC started experiencing the pain in his right calf muscle, he decided to return to the airport for landing.
-The PIC stated that he might have extended his downwind leg of the traffic pattern due to the cramp in his right calf muscle. He also believes that he overshot final due to being distracted from the leg cramp.
-The PIC stated that the glider dropped from approximately 10-15 feet above the runway, due to loss of airspeed control. The PIC stated that he did not maintain the proper speed for landing.
-The PIC stated that the leg cramping was definitely a distraction during the landing, but the PIC felt that the lack of airspeed control lead to the accident.
-The PIC stated that the day of the accident and prior to the accident, he and his flight instructor completed two successful landings.
Action to be taken:
-The PIC will be counseled on the importance of airspeed control during the landing phase of flight, avoiding distractions, and aeromedical factor-pilot hydration. -dmr
As the FAA filed it
ON 5/31/2021 AT APPROXIMATELY 14:00 LOCAL TIME, N912B SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING THE ROLLOUT AFTER A HARD LANDING ON RUNWAY 27 AT P15. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS THE ONLY PERSON ON BOARD AND DID NOT SUFFER ANY INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AT APPROXIMATELY 350 FEET BEYOND THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD ON THE GRASS RUNWAY AND BEGAN TO VEER TO THE LEFT. THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE STRUCK A RUNWAY EDGE LIGHT TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY AND THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO VEER LEFT. THE RIGHT WING OUTERMOST LEADING EDGE AND WING TIP THEN STRUCK A CULVERT WHICH BEGAN TURNING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT. THE LEFT WING TIP CAME IN CONTACT WITH A TAXIWAY LIGHT UPON COMING TO A STOP. THERE WAS NO APPARENT VISUAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE FROM THE HARD LANDING; HOWEVER, THE LONG WINGSPAN APPEARED TO ACT AS A LEVER AS THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE RUNWAY LIGHT AND THE CULVERT, CAUSING SEVERE DISTORTION AND BUCKLING DAMAGE ON THE RIGHT SIDE FUSELAGE SKIN ABOVE, BELOW AND BEHIND THE RIGHT WING ROOT. THE RIGHT INBOARD UPPER WING SKIN WAS DISTORTED AND TORN, AND RIVET HEAD DETACHMENT WAS OBSERVED OVER THE RIGHT WING MAIN SPAR FITTING. ADDITIONAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE RIGHT WING OUTERMOST LEADING EDGE CAUSED BY THE CULVERT. THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE WAS DENTED IN AT MIDSPAN, AND DISLODGING OF THE UNDERWING SPEED BRAKE PANEL OCCURRED CAUSED BY THE RUNWAY EDGE LIGHT. -DFM
INVESTIGATION RESULTS FROM INTERVIEW WITH THE PIC:
-THE PIC WAS INTERVIEWED ON 06/21/2021 AT 11:12 AM ET BY DMR, OPS ASI. THE INTERVIEW LASTED 35 MINUTES.
-THE PIC MENTIONED THAT THE WINDS WERE VARIABLE AT THE TIME OF THE FLIGHT.
-THE PIC CONFIRMED THAT THE LANDING TOOK PLACE ON RUNWAY 27 AT KP15 (BROKEN STRAW AIRPORT IN PA).
-THE PIC DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY ISSUES WITH TAKEOFF.
-AT APPROXIMATELY 4,200 FT., THE GLIDER WAS RELEASED FROM THE TOW.
-THE FLIGHT LASTED APPROXIMATELY 1.5 HOURS.
-THE PIC WAS PRACTICING TURNS AND THERMALLING DURING THE FLIGHT.
-THE GLIDER ALMOST REACHED 6,000 FT. THE PIC SAID THAT HE KEPT THE AIRPORT IN SIGHT THE ENTIRE FLIGHT.
-DURING THE FLIGHT, THE PIC MENTIONED THAT HE EXPERIENCED DISCOMFORT IN HIS RIGHT CALF MUSCLE. HE SAID THAT THE CRAMPING PAIN MIGHT HAVE BEEN CAUSED FROM HIS BODY NOT BEING PROPERLY HYDRATED.
-WHEN THE PIC STARTED EXPERIENCING THE PAIN IN HIS RIGHT CALF MUSCLE, HE DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT FOR LANDING.
-THE PIC STATED THAT HE MIGHT HAVE EXTENDED HIS DOWNWIND LEG OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERN DUE TO THE CRAMP IN HIS RIGHT CALF MUSCLE. HE ALSO BELIEVES THAT HE OVERSHOT FINAL DUE TO BEING DISTRACTED FROM THE LEG CRAMP.
-THE PIC STATED THAT THE GLIDER DROPPED FROM APPROXIMATELY 10-15 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY, DUE TO LOSS OF AIRSPEED CONTROL. THE PIC STATED THAT HE DID NOT MAINTAIN THE PROPER SPEED FOR LANDING.
-THE PIC STATED THAT THE LEG CRAMPING WAS DEFINITELY A DISTRACTION DURING THE LANDING, BUT THE PIC FELT THAT THE LACK OF AIRSPEED CONTROL LEAD TO THE ACCIDENT.
-THE PIC STATED THAT THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT AND PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, HE AND HIS FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR COMPLETED TWO SUCCESSFUL LANDINGS.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN:
-THE PIC WILL BE COUNSELED ON THE IMPORTANCE OF AIRSPEED CONTROL DURING THE LANDING PHASE OF FLIGHT, AVOIDING DISTRACTIONS, AND AEROMEDICAL FACTOR-PILOT HYDRATION. -DMR
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.