Summary
On May 12, 2007, a Centrair 101C (N991JB) was involved in an incident near Alamogordo, NM. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's inability to control the glider after encountering the downdraft causing the glider to land short of the dirt strip. Factors contributing to the accident were the downdraft and the runway marker.
The pilot was landing on the dirt strip that parallels runway 21. Surface winds were "light." Approximately 25 to 50 feet above the ground, the pilot encountered "heavy sink" and realized he was probably going to touch down in a ditch perpendicular to the dirt strip. The glider touched down at the far end of the ditch. The right wing dropped and struck a runway marker. The glider spun around and came to a stop 120 to 150 feet from the marker. The pilot reported no anomalies with the glider prior to the accident. He reported finding a 2 ft. x 2 ft. hole in the right wing leading edge, and several stress cracks and skin delamination on the top and bottom surfaces of the wing. The tail wheel was severed from the fuselage and bent.
This incident is documented in NTSB report DEN07CA092. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N991JB.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's inability to control the glider after encountering the downdraft causing the glider to land short of the dirt strip. Factors contributing to the accident were the downdraft and the runway marker.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot was landing on the dirt strip that parallels runway 21. Surface winds were "light." Approximately 25 to 50 feet above the ground, the pilot encountered "heavy sink" and realized he was probably going to touch down in a ditch perpendicular to the dirt strip. The glider touched down at the far end of the ditch. The right wing dropped and struck a runway marker. The glider spun around and came to a stop 120 to 150 feet from the marker. The pilot reported no anomalies with the glider prior to the accident. He reported finding a 2 ft. x 2 ft. hole in the right wing leading edge, and several stress cracks and skin delamination on the top and bottom surfaces of the wing. The tail wheel was severed from the fuselage and bent. He said, "wing spar damage and internal fuselage damage were likely."
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# DEN07CA092