- Date
- April 25, 1998, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hardscrabble, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N102PXMasak Scimitar
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 8, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 39556
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 pilots encounter with an unexpected downdraft.
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 ridge soaring and encountered an unexpected down current from an upwind plateau causing him to execute an emergency landing to a field approximately 450 feet in length. After touchdown the pilot ground looped the glider to avoid hitting a tree.
Factual narrative
On April 25, 1998, at 1330 eastern daylight time, a MASAK Scimitar, N102PX, a home built glider, was substantially damaged during an off airport landing to a field near Hardscrabble, Virginia. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that originated from Ridge Soaring Glider Port, Julian, Pennsylvania, approximately 1220. No flight plan was filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In the NTSB Form 6120.1/2 the pilot stated, "I was ridge soaring the Appalachian Mountains and encountered some unexpected wave down wash from the upwind plateau." The pilot also stated, he had to make an emergency landing in a very short field (400-500 feet), and ground loop the glider to avoid hitting a tree.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N102PX
- Reported as
- Masak Scimitar
- Category
- Glider, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 001
- Airframe hours
- 120
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Peter C. Masak
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 23, 1998 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Julian, PA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,200 total · 120 in this make and model · 1,100 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SHD, 309 nm away