Summary
On April 06, 2013, a Phoenix Air U15 (N94DK) was involved in an incident near Foscoe, NC. 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 motorized glider’s encounter with clear air turbulence, which resulted in substantial damage to the empennage.
According to the pilot of the motorized glider, he was flying at an altitude of 6,000 feet en route to his home airport when he noted an episode of turbulence on the avionics logs for his flight path. He climbed to an altitude of 6,500 feet and continued to his destination; however, the glider subsequently encountered severe turbulence that lasted for a few seconds. The pilot heard a cracking noise and thought it was a quart of oil loose in the baggage compartment. He continued the flight and landed at his home airport uneventfully. While cleaning the glider after the flight, the pilot noted substantial damage to the empennage, which included a 12-inch crack to the composite structure under the right side of the vertical stabilizer.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA13CA195. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N94DK.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The motorized glider’s encounter with clear air turbulence, which resulted in substantial damage to the empennage.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
According to the pilot of the motorized glider, he was flying at an altitude of 6,000 feet en route to his home airport when he noted an episode of turbulence on the avionics logs for his flight path. He climbed to an altitude of 6,500 feet and continued to his destination; however, the glider subsequently encountered severe turbulence that lasted for a few seconds. The pilot heard a cracking noise and thought it was a quart of oil loose in the baggage compartment. He continued the flight and landed at his home airport uneventfully. While cleaning the glider after the flight, the pilot noted substantial damage to the empennage, which included a 12-inch crack to the composite structure under the right side of the vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation prior to the turbulence encounter and noted that the glider remained controllable as normal after the turbulence encounter.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA13CA195