Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the student pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind condition, and his failure to maintain proper altitude and clearance from the boundry fence, during an approach to land on the runway. Factors relating to the accident were: the crosswind, and overshooting the turn to final approach (failing to attain proper runway alignment).
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On April 12, 1997, at 1630 hours Pacific daylight time, a Schweizer SGS 2-33A, N2037T, drifted off runway 7 on landing and the left wing clipped the perimeter fence at the Crystalaire Airport, Llano, California. The glider was substantially damaged, and the student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the local solo instructional flight which originated at 1515.
The student pilot reported he flew a 45-degree entry from the northeast and checked the windsock and tetrahedron at midfield. He noted that the wind was at a right angle to runway 7R, approximately 340 degrees, at an estimated 10 miles an hour. He stated that he initiated a left 90-degree turn onto the base leg with a tailwind. At this point, he checked to make sure he was still inside the center line of the glider runway and transitioned to the final approach sequence. The student pilot stated that on "rollout to final I was blown across the southern boundary fence at which time I continued the left hand turn so that the aircraft was now on a heading of [350] degrees. As I crossed back over the fence my left wing struck a fence post. The aircraft came to rest on the airport property facing [a] heading [of] 250 degrees."
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX97LA160