- Date
- March 20, 2018, 14:47 local (21:47 UTC)
- Place
- Sunriver, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N63010Lithuanian Factory Of LAK 12
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Loss of lift
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 5, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180320014609A
- Case key
- 96901
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 inadequate flight planning, which resulted in an off-airport landing.
Findings · 3
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
The glider pilot reported that, at 8,800 ft, he encountered a strong sink rate of about 400-600 ft per minute. He added that he was unable to find any thermals and decided to head towards a nearby airport to land. He soon realized that he would not be able to reach the airport and chose to land on a highway instead. During landing, the wings struck road signs and came to rest on the right side of the highway. The glider sustained substantial damage to the wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The glider pilot reported that, at 8,800 ft, he encountered a strong sink rate of about 400-600 ft per minute. He added that he was unable to find any thermals and decided to head towards a nearby airport to land. He soon realized that he would not be able to reach the airport and chose to land on a highway instead. During landing, the wings struck road signs and came to rest on the right side of the highway. The glider sustained substantial damage to the wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N63010
- Reported as
- Lithuanian Factory Of LAK 12 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 6228
- Built
- 1992
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- BDN · Bend, OR
- Destination
- Sunriver, OR
- Equipment
- 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
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 30, 2016
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 209 total · 45 in this make and model · 112 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- KBDN, 17 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 16, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.2 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.