- Date
- November 29, 2012, 12:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Boulder, CO
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9929JSchweizer SGS 2-32
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Loss of lift
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 10, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-DEN-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20121129025479A
- Case key
- 85703
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The glider pilot's inability to locate an area of thermal lift.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The towplane released the glider at an altitude of about 11,200 feet above mean sea level (msl). The glider then entered an area of lift, which increased the altitude to 14,500 msl. The pilot continued westbound encountering areas of lift and sink. The pilot reported that they were unable to find an area of lift again and the descent rate increased to over 1,000 feet per minute (fpm). The flight instructor on board took over control of the glider and turned back toward the east hoping to find the area of lift that they had encountered earlier in the flight. The flight instructor stated the lift did not materialize and they encountered sink rates of up to 1,600 fpm. The flight instructor located a field in which to land. The flight instructor maneuvered the glider to align with the field and avoid houses as the sink rate continued to be about 1,000 fpm. The left wing contacted a power line, which spun the glider around 180 degrees prior to it coming to rest about 200 feet short of the intended landing area. The glider received substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider.
Factual narrative
The glider released from the towplane at an altitude of about 11,200 feet above mean sea level (msl). The glider then entered an area of lift which increased the altitude to 14,500 msl. The pilot continued westbound encountering areas of lift and sink. The pilot reported that they were unable to find the area of lift again and the descent rate increased to over 1,000 feet per minute (fpm). The flight instructor on board took over control of the glider and turned back toward the east hoping to find the area of lift that they had encountered earlier in the flight. The flight instructor stated the lift did not materialize and they encountered sink rates of up to 1,600 fpm. The flight instructor located a field in which to land. The flight instructor maneuvered the glider to align with the field and avoid houses as the sink rate continued to be about 1,000 fpm. During the approach, the left wing contacted a powerline which spun the glider around 180 degrees prior to it coming to rest approximately 200 feet short of the intended landing area. The glider received substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9929J
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS 2-32
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 38
- Airframe hours
- 1,972
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Soaring Society Of Boulder Inc
- Registered owner
- Soaring Society Of Boulder Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Unknown
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 16, 2012
- Departed
- KBDU · Boulder, CO
- Destination
- KBDU · Boulder, CO
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Last flight review
- November 30, 2011
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 11,715 total · 1,532 in this make and model · 1,158 as pilot in command · 103 in the last 90 days · 48 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 30, 2012
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 11,410 total · 1 in this make and model · 103 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KDBU, 11 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 19, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.