- Date
- June 27, 2012, 15:50 local (22:50 UTC)
- Place
- Bishop, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3617USchweizer SGS 1-36
- Defining event
- Enroute: Loss of lift
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20120627013049A
- Case key
- 84120
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’s encounter with insufficient atmospheric lift to maintain soaring flight, which resulted in an off-airport landing.
Findings · 1
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
The pilot reported that, after 1.5 hours of soaring, he was en route to the airport when he encountered significant sink (loss of lift) and was forced to land in a pasture about 2 miles from the approach end of the runway. The glider sustained damage to its right wing tip and empennage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that after 1.5 hours of soaring he was en route back to the airport when he encountered significant sink (loss of lift) and was forced to land in a pasture 2.1 miles northeast of the approach end of the runway. The glider sustained damage to the right wing tip and empennage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3617U
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS 1-36
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 18
- Airframe hours
- 1,284
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sierra Fliers
- Registered owner
- Suter Laurance J
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 5, 2012
- Departed
- KBIH · Bishop, CA
- Destination
- KBIH · Bishop, CA
- Airport
- KBIH · Bishop
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
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 28, 2011
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 1,800 total · 17 in this make and model · 136 in the last 90 days · 51 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 14 knots, gusting 31
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- KBIH, 3 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 23, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N3617U · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.