- Date
- June 16, 2013, 14:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Elbert, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N72EMSchleicher ASW-27
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130616011849A
- Case key
- 87475
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 pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while landing in gusting crosswind conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's delayed return to the airport.
Findings · 5
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
In a written statement, the pilot said he departed in his glider with an observed thunderstorm approximately 50 miles from the airport. About 2 hours later, after hearing that other glider pilots had returned to the airport due to the approaching storm, he returned as well. During the approach to the airport, it was raining and the wind was gusting to 38 knots. The airplane landed with a left crosswind. During the landing roll, the left wing impacted the ground and the glider ground looped. The glider sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies and stated the accident could have been prevented if he had landed sooner.
Factual narrative
In a written statement, the pilot said he departed in his glider with an observed thunderstorm approximately 50 miles from the airport. About 2 hours later, after hearing that other glider pilots had returned to the airport due to the approaching storm, he returned as well. During the approach to the airport, it was raining and the wind was gusting to 38 knots. The airplane landed with a left crosswind. During the landing roll, the left wing impacted the ground and the glider ground looped. The glider sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies and stated the accident could have been prevented if he had landed sooner.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N72EM
- Reported as
- Schleicher ASW-27
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 27193
- Airframe hours
- 993
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Culbertson Rick C
- Registered owner
- Culbertson Rick C
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2013
- Departed
- CO15 · Elbert, CO
- Destination
- CO15 · Elbert, CO
- Airport
- CO15 · Kelly Airpark, runway 35, 3,800 × 36 ft
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Flight hours
- 1,384 total · 363 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 27 knots, gusting 33
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- CO15
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 26, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 834 KB 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.