- Date
- July 27, 2019, 16:15 local (22:15 UTC)
- Place
- Mackay, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N274JMSchleicher ASW 27
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 2, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190727016719A
- Case key
- 99992
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 lateral control of the glider during landing in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in the left wing striking the ground and a subsequent ground loop.
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 pilot reported that, while returning to the airport, the glider descended faster than expected, so he diverted to a field for landing. The glider encountered a wind gust, and the left wing hit the ground. The glider then ground looped to the left. The glider sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and right aileron. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind was from 140°, between about 10 and 20 knots, and gusting. The pilot landed the glider to the south.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the glider reported that, while returning to the airport, the glider descended faster than expected, so he diverted to an alfalfa field for landing. The glider encountered a gust of wind and the left wing "suddenly" hit the ground. The glider then ground looped to the left. The glider sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage and right aileron. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind was from 140° at 10 to 20 knots and gusting. The pilot landed the glider to the south.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N274JM
- Reported as
- Schleicher ASW 27 (Undesignat)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 27029
- Built
- 1986
- Airframe hours
- 1,408
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · October 19, 2018
- Departed
- U62 · Mackay, ID
- Destination
- U62 · Mackay, ID
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Data recorder
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
- 74
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Last flight review
- October 18, 2018
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 3,164 total · 1,130 in this make and model · 3,164 as pilot in command · 82 in the last 90 days · 42 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 8 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Turbulence
- Moderate
- Observed at
- KSUN, 40 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 3, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 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.