What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Arrived at kmev around 10:30AM to pre-flight the glider and everything was okay with the preflight so had the glider towed to the staging area and launched around 11:45. Released from aerotow about 5MI NE of the airport at about 7400’ and climbed to about 10,400’. At this point I went on glide east to bismarck peak and arrived around 9500’ and encountered sinking air, instead of turning around to fly back into the sinking air we flew south to mineral peak expecting to find lift where I usually do but the air was also sinking and arrived at roughly the peak height. I decided to head back west to the airport but found no lifting air and the headwind was significant at the lower altitude. At around 1000’ AGL over a dirt road (38.9913983,-119.6275469) I chose to commit to landing as I deemed it was the safest option since I could no longer see the airport clearly. Circling over the dirt road I could tell there was a gradual incline so I decided to approach it from the downhill side and land uphill. After turning base I managed to set up on final approach with plenty of road remaining. Once I touched down the wing hit some rocks and brush on the side of the road which was roughly 2FT higher than the center of the road. This spun the glider around to face the opposite direction of the final approach at which point the glider came to a stop.
On the ground I noticed strong gusts uphill (15KTS) but calm winds between gusts. It was also impossible to see the depth of the road and the raised sides from 1000FT above the ground while trying to identify hazards in the road. Ultimately, the left wing striking a rock on the side of the road that was raised caused the glider to spin 180 deg once on the ground and during the spin I think the fuselage struck the other side of the road causing damage to it.
We were both able to exit the glider normally, uninjured. At which point we notified other club members and had a friend meet us out there with the trailer. We were able to get the glider in the trailer but the fuselage was further separated when pulling it in.
Attached are images before moving the glider into the trailer.
As the FAA filed it
ARRIVED AT KMEV AROUND 10:30AM TO PRE-FLIGHT THE GLIDER AND EVERYTHING WAS OKAY WITH THE PREFLIGHT SO HAD THE GLIDER TOWED TO THE STAGING AREA AND LAUNCHED AROUND 11:45. RELEASED FROM AEROTOW ABOUT 5MI NE OF THE AIRPORT AT ABOUT 7400’ AND CLIMBED TO ABOUT 10,400’. AT THIS POINT I WENT ON GLIDE EAST TO BISMARCK PEAK AND ARRIVED AROUND 9500’ AND ENCOUNTERED SINKING AIR, INSTEAD OF TURNING AROUND TO FLY BACK INTO THE SINKING AIR WE FLEW SOUTH TO MINERAL PEAK EXPECTING TO FIND LIFT WHERE I USUALLY DO BUT THE AIR WAS ALSO SINKING AND ARRIVED AT ROUGHLY THE PEAK HEIGHT. I DECIDED TO HEAD BACK WEST TO THE AIRPORT BUT FOUND NO LIFTING AIR AND THE HEADWIND WAS SIGNIFICANT AT THE LOWER ALTITUDE. AT AROUND 1000’ AGL OVER A DIRT ROAD (38.9913983,-119.6275469) I CHOSE TO COMMIT TO LANDING AS I DEEMED IT WAS THE SAFEST OPTION SINCE I COULD NO LONGER SEE THE AIRPORT CLEARLY. CIRCLING OVER THE DIRT ROAD I COULD TELL THERE WAS A GRADUAL INCLINE SO I DECIDED TO APPROACH IT FROM THE DOWNHILL SIDE AND LAND UPHILL. AFTER TURNING BASE I MANAGED TO SET UP ON FINAL APPROACH WITH PLENTY OF ROAD REMAINING. ONCE I TOUCHED DOWN THE WING HIT SOME ROCKS AND BRUSH ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHICH WAS ROUGHLY 2FT HIGHER THAN THE CENTER OF THE ROAD. THIS SPUN THE GLIDER AROUND TO FACE THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE FINAL APPROACH AT WHICH POINT THE GLIDER CAME TO A STOP.
ON THE GROUND I NOTICED STRONG GUSTS UPHILL (15KTS) BUT CALM WINDS BETWEEN GUSTS. IT WAS ALSO IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE DEPTH OF THE ROAD AND THE RAISED SIDES FROM 1000FT ABOVE THE GROUND WHILE TRYING TO IDENTIFY HAZARDS IN THE ROAD. ULTIMATELY, THE LEFT WING STRIKING A ROCK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THAT WAS RAISED CAUSED THE GLIDER TO SPIN 180 DEG ONCE ON THE GROUND AND DURING THE SPIN I THINK THE FUSELAGE STRUCK THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD CAUSING DAMAGE TO IT.
WE WERE BOTH ABLE TO EXIT THE GLIDER NORMALLY, UNINJURED. AT WHICH POINT WE NOTIFIED OTHER CLUB MEMBERS AND HAD A FRIEND MEET US OUT THERE WITH THE TRAILER. WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE GLIDER IN THE TRAILER BUT THE FUSELAGE WAS FURTHER SEPARATED WHEN PULLING IT IN.
ATTACHED ARE IMAGES BEFORE MOVING THE GLIDER INTO THE TRAILER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N125CC · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.