- Date
- April 26, 2003, 13:50 local (20:50 UTC)
- Place
- Ephrata, WA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3839Schempp-Hirth Cirrus
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030426007199A
- Case key
- 56895
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 aircraft control while on final approach for landing. Low airspeed was a factor.
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 reported that while returning to the airport for landing, he entered the traffic pattern downwind leg about one mile southwest of the airport after encountering "strong sinking air." The pilot stated that he flew a faster and lower then normal pattern, with "an abbreviated base to final in order to shorten the distance to the landing area." During the round out for final approach, approximately 10 feet AGL, he deployed the spoilers. The pilot was unsure if the airspeed was too low, or there was a gust of wind, when the right wing dropped and struck the ground. The glider pivoted to the right followed by the tail striking the ground. The pilot reported that the side loading applied to the landing gear resulted in substantial damage to the steel tubing structure and a puncture in the right wing skin.
Factual narrative
On April 26, 2003, approximately 1350 Pacific daylight time, a Schempp-Hirth Cirrus glider, N3839, registered to and operated by the pilot as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, collided with the terrain while on final approach for landing at Ephrata Municipal, Ephrata, Washington. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The glider was substantially damaged and the commercial pilot, the sole occupant, received minor injuries. The flight originated from Ephrata at 1300.
During a telephone interview and subsequent written statement, the pilot reported that while returning to the airport for landing, he entered the traffic pattern downwind leg about one mile southwest of the airport after encountering "strong sinking air." The pilot stated that he flew a faster and lower than normal pattern, with "an abbreviated base to final in order to shorten the distance to the landing area." During the round out for final approach, approximately 10 feet above ground level, he deployed the spoilers. The pilot was unsure if the airspeed was too low, or there was a gust of wind, when the right wing dropped and struck the ground. The glider pivoted to the right followed by the tail striking the ground. The pilot reported that the side loading applied to the landing gear resulted in substantial damage to the steel tubing structure and a puncture in the right wing skin.
The 1353 Ephrata surface weather observation was reporting winds from 310 degrees at nine knots. The sky was clear with 10 miles visibility. The temperature was 10 degrees Celsius.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3839
- Reported as
- Schempp-Hirth Cirrus
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 39
- Airframe hours
- 1,695
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William S. Allan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 15, 2003 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- EPH · Ephrata, WA
- Airport
- EPH · Ephrata Municipal, runway 20, 6,700 × 150 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
- 51
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- June 26, 2001
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 1,116 total · 131 in this make and model · 1,017 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Observed at
- EPH
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.