- Date
- March 24, 2011, 13:51 local (18:51 UTC)
- Place
- Winchester, TN
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1359Rolladen-Schneider LS-3
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Loss of lift
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 17, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110324007229A
- Case key
- 78670
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 delayed response to changing weather conditions, which resulted in an off-airport landing into trees.
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
According to the glider pilot, he was participating in a 500-kilometer event when he failed to notice that the weather deteriorated, with overcast skies that prevented the sun from heating the ground and creating the thermal lift he required. He further stated that the glider was too far from a mountain to benefit from mechanical lift, and he was forced to perform a landing into unsuitable terrain. In an effort to cushion the landing, the pilot landed into pine trees, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. He reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the glider prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
According to the glider pilot, he was participating in a 500-kilometer event when he failed to notice that the cloud streets he was flying beneath deteriorated to a 100 percent overcast, and the sun was no longer heating the ground and creating the thermal lifting he required. He further stated that the glider was too far from a mountain to benefit from mechanical lift, and he was forced to perform a forced landing into unsuitable terrain. In an effort to cushion the landing, the pilot landed into pine trees which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. He reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the glider.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1359
- Reported as
- Rolladen-Schneider LS-3
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 3033
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ruegger Rebecca M
- Registered owner
- Ruegger Rebecca M
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- APT · Jasper, TN
- Destination
- APT · Jasper, TN
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
- 51
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Foreign, Private
- Last flight review
- April 10, 2010
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 1,057 total · 40 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Observed at
- HSV, 50 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 9, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 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.