Summary
On December 28, 2011, a Schweizer SGS 1-26B (N8641R) was involved in an incident near Murrieta, CA. 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 glider's encounter with insufficient atmospheric lift to maintain soaring flight.
During a solo instructional glider flight, the student pilot released from the tow airplane at a planned altitude of 4,250 feet mean sea level (msl). Upon the release, the pilot was not able to locate any up-currents, and the sink rates the glider encountered varied between 200 to 600 feet per minute. The pilot stated that his plan was to try and gain altitude, cross a ridge, and drop back down into the valley and glide back to the airport. However, there was insufficient lift to clear the ridge safely, so he selected two open fields for a possible off-field landing. The pilot stated that on final approach to the field, he observed some signs between the glider’s current position and the intended landing site that he had not seen during his fly-by inspection.
This incident is documented in NTSB report WPR12CA072. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N8641R.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The glider's encounter with insufficient atmospheric lift to maintain soaring flight.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
During a solo instructional glider flight, the student pilot released from the tow airplane at a planned altitude of 4,250 feet mean sea level (msl). Upon the release, the pilot was not able to locate any up-currents, and the sink rates the glider encountered varied between 200 to 600 feet per minute. The pilot stated that his plan was to try and gain altitude, cross a ridge, and drop back down into the valley and glide back to the airport. However, there was insufficient lift to clear the ridge safely, so he selected two open fields for a possible off-field landing. The pilot stated that on final approach to the field, he observed some signs between the glider’s current position and the intended landing site that he had not seen during his fly-by inspection. He maneuvered around the obstructions and decided to land on a road, which was his second landing site. The glider landed on the road, and the right wing collided with a previously unseen mailbox post, which caused substantial damage to the wing. The glider spun in a clockwise direction and hit trash cans before coming to rest in a shallow ditch.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# WPR12CA072