# NTSB WPR10CA215: PZL-Swidnik PW-5, N500JN, Marana, AZ, April 26, 2010 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: April 25, 2010, 17:00 local (Apr 26, 2010, 00:00 UTC) - Place: Marana, AZ - Coordinates: 32.493331, -111.495002 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.4933&lon=-111.4950&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Electrical system malf/failure](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/332) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 12, 2010 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 75839 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR10CA215 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/75839/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=75839 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10CA215 ## Probable cause The pilot's inability to find thermal lift. Contributing to the accident was the failure of a computer that provided glide information and vertical speed instrumentation as a result of an improperly routed electrical cable that caused a short in the electrical system and the pilot's lack of experience in the glider. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Experience/qualifications: total experience w/ equipment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031025): Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Pzl-Swidnik PW-5, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031025/cases.md?model=9810150), [All aircraft, 269 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031025/cases.md) - [Temp/humidity/pressure: thermal lifting](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031040): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Not specified (probable cause); cases with it: [Pzl-Swidnik PW-5, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031040/cases.md?model=9810150), [All aircraft, 53 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031040/cases.md) - [Indicating/recording systems: instrument panel ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023110): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Inoperative (probable cause); cases with it: [Pzl-Swidnik PW-5, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023110/cases.md?model=9810150), [All aircraft, 22 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023110/cases.md) - [Electrical power system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022400): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Malfunction (probable cause); cases with it: [Pzl-Swidnik PW-5, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022400/cases.md?model=9810150), [All aircraft, 48 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022400/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: Electrical system malf/failure](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/332) (defining event); cases with it: [Pzl-Swidnik PW-5, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/332/sequence.md?model=9810150), [All aircraft, 182 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/332/sequence.md) - [Enroute-cruise: Loss of lift](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/500); cases with it: [Pzl-Swidnik PW-5, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/500/sequence.md?model=9810150), [All aircraft, 252 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/500/sequence.md) - [Landing: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Pzl-Swidnik PW-5, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=9810150), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) ## Analysis The glider pilot had been checked out in the glider the day of the accident and it was the first time she had flown this make and model. Approximately two hours into the flight, she smelled a burning rubber smell before all of the electronics ceased operating. She turned back to her departure airport, but due to her lack of experience she was unable to find a thermal and the glider continued to descend. During the forced off-field landing, the glider impacted trees and desert brush. Postaccident examination of the glider revealed that the cable supplying power to the removable data logger was routed improperly and had rubbed against a metal computer port, causing an electrical short and disabling the glide computer, global positioning system, and the vertical speed indicator. ## Factual narrative The glider pilot had been checked out in the glider the day of the accident and it was the first time she had flown this make and model. Approximately two hours into the flight, she smelled a rubber burning smell and all of her electronics ceased operating. She initiated a turn back to her departure airport but due to her lack of experience, she was unable to find a thermal and the glider continued to descend. During the forced, off-field landing, the glider impacted trees and desert brush. Post accident examination of the glider revealed that the cable supplying power to the removable data logger was found pinched against a metal computer port. This resulted in an electrical short and disabled the glide computer, global positioning system, and the vertical speed indicator. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N500JN](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N500JN), registered now, S/N 1706010, built 1996 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PZL-Swidnik PW-5 - Registry model: [Pzl-Swidnik PW-5](https://openairdocs.org/model/pzl-swidnik-pw-5) (registry code 9810150) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Glider - Serial number: 1706010 - Airframe hours: 1834 - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Tucson Soaring Club Inc - Registered owner: Tucson Soaring Club Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, January 10, 2010 - Departed: AZ67, El Tiro, AZ - Destination: AZ67, El Tiro, AZ - Flight plan: Unknown ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 37; injuries: none; private; last flight review September 2, 2009; flight hours: 62 total, 2 in this make and model, 24 as pilot in command, 20 in the last 90 days, 6 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 350° at 7 knots, gusting 15 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 30 °F - Altimeter: 29.93 inHg - Observed at: RYN, 20 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20100425032989A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100425032989A), Apr 25, 2010: Pzl-Swidnik PW-5, Marana, AZ, Substantial damage. On 04-24-10, N500JN received substantial damage when the pilot conducted an off-site landing 6.6NM northwest of El Tiro Gliderport, AZ (AZ67). The pilot… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 17, 2010, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=75839. 1.2 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40329621&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Record of Correspondence- Tucson Soaring Club (item 2, .PDF, 18 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40329622&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Correspondence-%20Tucson%20Soaring%20Club-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.