- Date
- June 17, 2006, 16:20 local (20:20 UTC)
- Place
- Mt. Holly Sprin, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N29JHEiriavion PIK 20B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 3, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Harrisburg
- FAA report
- 20060617021879A
- Case key
- 63935
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 altitude/clearance from trees along his final approach 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
After approximately 2 hours of cross-country soaring, the pilot headed back toward the departure airport. Unable to find adequate thermal lift, the pilot altered course toward a group of gliders who had encountered thermals. Finding no source of lift near the other gliders, and unable to reach the airport, he chose an open field for a forced landing. During the landing approach, the pilot executed an "S-turn" with the flaps fully extended and with steep bank angles, which resulted in a "faster than expected" altitude loss. The glider struck trees bordering the intended landing field, resulting in substantial damage.
Factual narrative
After approximately 2 hours of cross-country soaring, the pilot headed back toward the departure airport. Unable to find adequate thermal lift, the pilot altered course toward a group of gliders who had encountered thermals. Finding no source of lift near the other gliders, and unable to reach the airport, he chose an open field for a forced landing. During the landing approach, the pilot executed an "S-turn" with the flaps fully extended and with steep bank angles, which resulted in a "faster than expected" altitude loss. The glider struck trees bordering the intended landing field, resulting in substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N29JH
- Reported as
- Eiriavion PIK 20B
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 20061
- Airframe hours
- 2,799
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2006
- Departed
- W73 · Fairfield, PA
- Destination
- W73 · Fairfield, PA
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
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2005
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 3,622 total · 1,787 in this make and model · 3,603 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KHGR
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.