- Date
- March 12, 2002, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Moriarty, NM
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N333USSchleicher AS-W19
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 29, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20020312003389A
- Case key
- 54332
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 attempt to perform a turn upwind at a altitude too low to complete the turn. A factor was the turbulance.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The glider and tow plane and were climbing through 400-500 feet AGL, when both aircraft encountered turbulence. The glider was "climbing and sinking rapidly and the glider pilot could not neutralize the motion. She believed that she had enough altitude to turn and make a downwind landing, so she released the tow line. The pilot then turned back to the runway to make a downwind landing. While in the turn, the pilot received a radio call from the ground telling her to try to continue around to make a landing into the wind. The pilot attempted to follow the instructions from the person on the ground, and the left wing tip contacted the ground before the turn was completed. The pilot stated that if she had continued on her original plan to land downwind, then she thought that she could have made the landing without incident.
Factual narrative
On March 12, 2002, at 1600 mountain standard time, a Schleicher AS-W19 glider, N333US, registered to and operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged when impacted the ground while maneuvering to land on runway 26 at the Moriarty Municipal Airport, Moriarty, New Mexico. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight originated at 1557 from the Moriarty Airport.
According to information provided in the enclosed NTSB Pilot/Operator Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), the glider was connected to the tow plane and was climbing through 400-500 feet AGL, when both aircraft encountered turbulence. The glider was "climbing and sinking rapidly and the glider pilot could not neutralize the motion. She believed that she had enough altitude to turn and make a downwind landing, so she released the tow line. The pilot then turned back to the runway to make a downwind landing. While in the turn, the pilot received a radio call from the ground telling her to try to continue around to make a landing into the wind. The pilot attempted to follow the instructions from the person on the ground, and the left wing tip contacted the ground before the turn was completed.
The pilot stated that if she had continued on her original plan to land downwind, then she thought that she could have made the landing without incident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N333US
- Reported as
- Schleicher AS-W19
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 19160
- Airframe hours
- 1,357
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Janis E. White
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 10, 2002 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- OEO · Albuquerque, NM
- Destination
- OEO · Albuquerque, NM
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
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 80 total · 2 in this make and model · 5 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ABQ
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 10, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 536 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.