N19HG

On April 10, 2005, at 1500 eastern daylight time, a Schleicher ASW19B, N19HG, register to and operated by a private pilot, lost lift and collided with a tree while made a forced landing in a private field in Henderson, North Carolina. The personal flight was operated under the provision of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual metrological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The glider sustained substantial damage and the pilot was not injured. The local flight departed Henderson, North Carolina, at 1300 on April 10, 2005.

The pilot stated while out soaring on a recreational flight, the glider began to lose lift at approximately 2,500 feet. As the pilot attempted to regain thermal lift he encountered a high sink rate. As glider continued to descend, the pilot was unable to regain lift, and selected a field for a forced landing. According to the pilot. during the forced landing to a grass field, he overshot the intended touchdown point and collided with a tree. No flight control malfunctions were reported by the pilot.

Post-accident examination of the glider revealed the outboard section of the left wing was broken off of the wing assembly. The weather at the nearest reporting facility Raleigh Durham, North Carolina reported at 14:53: 10-statue miles visibility, sky clear, temperature 22 Celsius, dewpoint 4 Celsius, barometric setting 30.05, winds 09 degrees at 7 knots.