- Date
- March 18, 1997, 14:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Scottsdale, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N351HKHoffman, Wolf, Flugzeugbau Super Dimona HK 36R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 14, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970318010069A
- Case key
- 29758
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 an adequate glide path.
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
The pilot was beginning to deploy his dive brakes over the runway when he when he encountered thermal activity. The aircraft dropped, struck the runway, and then bounced back into the air. After touching down a second time, the aircraft slid to a stop on the runway. The pilot reported the conditions were clear and calm.
Factual narrative
On March 18, at 1400 hours mountain standard time, a Hoffmann Super Dimona HK 36R motor glider, N351HK, was destroyed during a hard landing at the Scottsdale, Arizona, airport. Neither the pilot nor his pilot rated passenger was injured. The aircraft was being operated as a personal flight by the pilot/owner when the accident occurred. The local flight originated from Scottsdale, Arizona, at 1357. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot stated that he was on climb out after departure from Scottsdale airport when he noted that his voltmeter was indicating a discharge. Deciding to return, he contacted the control tower operator and was cleared to land on runway 21. He said he was beginning to deploy his dive brakes, about 20 feet above the runway, when he encountered thermal activity. The aircraft dropped, struck the runway, and then bounced about 30 to 40 feet back into the air. After touching down a second time, the aircraft slid about 100 to 150 feet before coming to a stop on the runway. The pilot reported the conditions were clear and calm at the time.
A postaccident inspection revealed the landing gear collapsed, the propeller was damaged, the canopy was cracked, the engine mounts were broken, and there were cracks and tears in the fuselage and wings.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N351HK
- Reported as
- Hoffman, Wolf, Flugzeugbau Super Dimona HK 36R (SUPER DIMO)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 36-351
- Airframe hours
- 249
- Engine
- Rotax 912A, 81 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Neal Hugh Olshan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 17, 1996 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- SDL
- Airport
- SDL · Scottsdale, runway 21, 8,251 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 346 total · 68 in this make and model · 267 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SDL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.