- Date
- July 31, 1995, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sandia Park, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N48EHRolladen-Schneider LS-3-17
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 13, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950731020829A
- Case key
- 19521
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 improper evaluation of the developing thunderstorm activity. Factors were the weather and the lack of suitable terrain for the precautionary landing.
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
Shortly after being towed aloft, thunderstorms moved into the area and prevented the pilot from returning to the airport. He elected to land in a field. During the landing roll, the aircraft collided with a cactus, shearing off the left wing and causing the aircraft to groundloop.
Factual narrative
On July 31, 1995, approximately 1500 mountain daylight time, a Rolladen-Schneider OHG LS-3-17, N48EH, was substantially damaged during an off-airport landing near Moriarty, New Mexico. The private pilot was not injured. The personal flight, conducted under 14 CFR Part 91, originated at Moriarty, New Mexico, on July 31, 1995, approximately 1400. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
The following is based on the pilot/operator report. The pilot departed the Moriarty Airport via aero tow and shortly thereafter, thunderstorms moved into the area. He flew in a northerly direction to avoid the weather and he noted the sky was becoming overcast, whereas before there had been cumulus clouds. He sighted a field and elected to land. During the landing, the aircraft collided with a cactus, shearing off the left wing. The aircraft groundlooped and incurred additional damage to the fuselage and landing gear.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N48EH
- Reported as
- Rolladen-Schneider LS-3-17
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 3421
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Benjamin F. Barrentine
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- 0E0
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
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Unknown
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 551 total · 424 in this make and model · 76 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 91 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.