- Date
- July 9, 2006, 16:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Enumclaw, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N43MMRolladen-Schneider LS3A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20060709024219A
- Case key
- 64189
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 glider pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, resulting in the aircraft impacting the dirt embankment on the side of the emergency run-out area. Factors include the pilot's improper decision not to deploy more airbrakes when he realized that he was crossing the threshold at too high of an altitude, and his failure to attain the proper touchdown point during the landing flare.
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
As the glider pilot crossed the runway threshold for landing, he realized that he was too high, and instead of further extending the airbrakes, which at the time were between one-third and one-half deployed, he lowered the nose of the aircraft in order to descend. This action increased the airspeed by about seven knots, and resulted in the aircraft landing about half way down the 2,100 foot runway. During his attempt to stop the aircraft on the remaining runway, the pilot inadvertently let the aircraft depart the left side of the runway, and as he attempted to get the aircraft back onto the runway surface prior to reaching the emergency run-out area, the aircraft came in contact with the side-slope of the built-up run-out area terrain.
Factual narrative
As the glider pilot crossed the runway threshold for landing, he realized that he was too high, and instead of further extending the airbrakes, which at the time were between one-third and one-half deployed, he lowered the nose of the aircraft in order to descend. This action increased the airspeed by about seven knots, and resulted in the aircraft landing about half way down the 2,100 foot runway. During his attempt to stop the aircraft on the remaining runway, the pilot inadvertently let the aircraft depart the left side of the runway, and as he attempted to get the aircraft back onto the runway surface prior to reaching the emergency run-out area, the aircraft came in contact with the side-slope of the built-up run-out area terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N43MM
- Reported as
- Rolladen-Schneider LS3A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3378
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Glenn Chouinard
- Registered owner
- Soaring Dogs LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- WN76 · Enumclaw, WA
- Destination
- WN76 · Enumclaw, WA
- Airport
- WN76 · Bergseth Field, runway 10, 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
- 52
- Certificate
- Private
- Flight hours
- 68 total · 16 in this make and model · 21 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.