- Date
- November 11, 2000, 15:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Lake Elsinore, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N3621RSchweizer SGS 1-36
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 2, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20001111023439A
- Case key
- 50629
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 misjudged altitude approaching the airstrip and his failure to maintain airspeed resulted in the glider's collision with trees.
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
After soaring for about 1 hour, the student pilot headed back to the departure airstrip for landing. Approaching the airstrip, the student misread his altimeter by 800 to 1,000 feet and initiated a circle to lose altitude. Midway through the turn the student realized his error and noted that he was, in fact, low whereupon he headed directly back toward the airstrip. The glider continued to lose lift, and the student did not initiate emergency procedures to make an off-site landing in nearby available fields. While attempting to stretch the glide, the glider stalled and collided with tree branches. Thereafter, it impacted the ground hard about 1/2 mile from the airstrip. The glider came to rest in the front yard of a trailer park. Nearly 2 months prior to the accident flight, the student's flight instructor authorized the student to fly the glider in solo flight.
Factual narrative
On November 11, 2000, about 1515 hours Pacific standard time, a Schweizer SGS 1-36, N3621R, operated by the Lake Elsinore Soaring Club, Lake Elsinore, California, collided with trees approaching the Skylark Field in Lake Elsinore. The glider was substantially damaged, and the student pilot was seriously injured. The flight was performed under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan was filed for the student pilot's solo instructional flight, which originated from the airstrip about 1358.
According to the student's flight instructor, on September 23, 2000, he had authorized his student to solo the glider in the local area. Regarding the accident flight, after about 1 hour the student planned to return for landing at the airstrip. Approaching the field, the student misread his altimeter and initiated a circle to lose altitude. Midway through the turn the student realized his error, noted that he was low, and headed directly back toward the airstrip. The glider continued to lose lift, and the student did not initiate emergency procedures to make an off-site landing in nearby available fields.
The flight instructor further stated that while attempting to stretch the glide, the glider stalled and collided with tree branches. Thereafter, it impacted the ground hard about 1/2 mile from the airstrip. The glider came to rest in the front yard of a trailer park.
The student pilot elaborated by reporting that he believed the accident was caused by his error in checking the altimeter and misreading it by 800 to 1,000 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3621R
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS 1-36
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 39
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Lake Elsinore Soaring Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 3, 1999
- Departed
- CA89
- Airport
- CA89 · Skylark Field, runway 29R, 2,800 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 60
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Unknown
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 68 total · 2 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 45 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 129 °F, dew point 90 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RIV, 15 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.