- Date
- August 14, 2020, 13:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Warner Springs, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7547Schweizer SGS233
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Loss of lift
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- FAA report
- 20200814013629A
- Case key
- 101816
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 inability to maintain altitude due to a loss of thermal lift, which resulted in an off-airport landing.
Findings · 2
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 glider pilot reported that, during the return flight to the airport, he encountered more downdrafts than expected and did not have enough altitude to reach the airport. He selected an area for the forced landing where during the landing roll on the rough terrain, both wings sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The glider pilot reported that, during the return flight to the airport, he encountered more downdrafts than expected and did not have enough altitude to reach the airport. He selected an area for the forced landing where during the landing roll on the rough terrain, both wings sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7547
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS233 (A)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 177
- Built
- 1970
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- CL35 · Warner Springs, CA
- Destination
- CL35 · 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
- 18
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Last flight review
- July 19, 2020
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 33 total · 20 in this make and model · 19 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- KRNM, 19 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 20, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 19.1 MB 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.
Other investigations on N7547 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.