- Date
- June 16, 2007, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Wickenburg, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N123KGBurkhart Grob G102 Std Astir III
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 30, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20070616013279A
- Case key
- 66035
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 inadequate compensation for wind conditions which resulted in an inflight collision with a cactus tree while landing. The loss of thermal lift, tailwind, gusts, and tree were contributing factors to the accident.
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 glider pilot was conducting a cross-country flight. Approximately 4 hours into the flight, the pilot experienced a loss of thermal lift. He reversed course and attempted to land on an uncharted airstrip. During the forced landing, wind gusts and a tailwind were present. On final approach, "a strong gust/windshear" moved the glider to the right side of the runway. The right wing impacted a cactus tree and sustained substantial damage. The pilot said that there were no mechanical malfunctions.
Factual narrative
The glider pilot was conducting a cross-country flight. Approximately 4 hours into the flight, the pilot experienced a loss of thermal lift. He reversed course and attempted to land on an uncharted airstrip. During the forced landing, wind gusts and a tailwind were present. On final approach, "a strong gust/windshear" moved the glider to the right side of the runway. The right wing impacted a cactus tree and sustained substantial damage. The pilot said that there were no mechanical malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N123KG
- Reported as
- Burkhart Grob G102 Std Astir III
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 55565
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Christopher Aniol
- Registered owner
- Willard, Aniol, Dickinson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 28A2 · Aguila, AZ
- Destination
- Camp Date Creek, AZ
- Airport
- NONE · Camp Date Creek Airstrip
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
- 47
- Certificate
- Private
- Flight hours
- 370 total · 250 in this make and model · 40 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 15 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 106 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.78 inHg
- Observed at
- KLUF
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.