- Date
- August 28, 2011, 15:50 local (22:50 UTC)
- Place
- Warner Springs, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5840VSchweizer SGS 2-32
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Loss of lift
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 1, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110828020389A
- Case key
- 81617
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 altitude to clear a ridgeline while maneuvering over a mountainous area.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the pilot, his release from the tow plane was normal. He released the tow rope at 7,100 feet mean sea level (msl) while over a 6,500-foot msl mountaintop for a planned 1/2-hour sightseeing flight. Little to no indication of lift was noted in the area, and the pilot reversed course. When the glider had descended to 6,900 feet msl and was continuing to rapidly descend, the pilot again reversed course toward lower elevation terrain. The glider’s altitude was insufficient to clear a ridgeline. On the side of the mountain, about 6,400 feet msl, the glider impacted rocks, trees, and shrubs, which resulted in the glider’s wings breaking.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, his release from the tow plane was normal. The pilot released the tow rope at 7,100 feet mean sea level (msl) while over a 6,500-foot mean sea level (msl) mountaintop for a planned 1/2-hour sightseeing flight. Little to no indication of lift was noted in the area, and the pilot reversed course. When the glider had descended to 6,900 feet msl and was continuing to rapidly descend, the pilot again reversed course toward lower elevation terrain. The glider’s altitude was insufficient to clear a ridgeline. On the side of the mountain, about 6,400 feet msl, the glider impacted rocks, trees, and shrubs, which resulted in breakage of the glider’s wings, and serious injuries to the pilot.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5840V
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS 2-32
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 5
- Airframe hours
- 17,071
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sky Sailing Inc
- Registered owner
- Sky Sailing Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 28, 2011
- Departed
- LC35 · Warner Springs, CA
- Destination
- LC35 · Warner Springs, CA
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
- 68
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Last flight review
- May 19, 2010
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,800 total · 500 in this make and model · 2,600 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 11, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 491 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.