- Date
- May 25, 2016, 13:36 local (17:36 UTC)
- Place
- Blairstown, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N63761Rolladen-Schneider OHG LS3
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Loss of lift
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 27, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160525008039A
- Case key
- 93249
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 clearance from trees on final.
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
According to the pilot, prior to a cross-country glider flight, his preflight weather assessment led him to believe that he would find thermal lift near the ridge enabling him to climb. He reported that when he arrived at the ridge he did not find any thermal lift activity and his circumstance seemed "urgent and imperative" to find an off airport landing area. He recalled that very high trees outlined the 300 meter field where he elected to land. He reported that he made two descending, spiraling patterns over his selected landing site. He recalled that he made a final turn into the field, however the glider's outboard left wing struck several trees and spun the glider counter-clockwise and it impacted the ground. The glider sustained substantial damage to the empennage and the left wing and canopy. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with any portion of the glider during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operations.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, prior to a cross-country glider flight, his preflight weather assessment led him to believe that he would find thermal lift near the ridge enabling him to climb. He reported that when he arrived at the ridge he did not find any thermal lift activity and his circumstance seemed "urgent and imperative" to find an off airport landing area. He recalled that very high trees outlined the 300 meter field where he elected to land. He reported that he made two descending, spiraling patterns over his selected landing site. He recalled that he made a final turn into the field, however the glider's outboard left wing struck several trees and spun the glider counter-clockwise and it impacted the ground. The glider sustained substantial damage to the empennage and the left wing and canopy. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with any portion of the glider during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N63761
- Reported as
- Rolladen-Schneider OHG LS3 (A)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 3286
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 2,223
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 24, 2016
- Departed
- K1N7 · Blairstown, NJ
- Destination
- K1N7 · Blairstown, NJ
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Handheld GPS
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
- 47
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Last flight review
- September 19, 2015
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 200 total · 18 in this make and model · 150 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- KFWN, 7 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 23, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 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.