Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The glider’s encounter with atmospheric conditions where the lift was not sufficient to maintain flight. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to overfly a suitable landing site which resulted in an off-field landing in a lake.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On June 22, 2022, about 1515 Pacific daylight time, a DG FLUGZEUGBAU GMBH sailplane, N5532P, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Lake Chelan, Washington. The pilot was not injured. The sailplane was as operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot reported he was soaring when he penetrated two areas of “heavy sink” before reaching the final wave lift of the flight that took him to 16,500 ft. When he left the wave lift the glider began to sink and he quickly focused on regaining lift and did not think about the final glide back to the departure airport. The pilot subsequently overflew a suitable alternative airport as he continued to search for lift while the glider continued to sink at about 1,000 ft per minute. The pilot eventually maneuvered into a position where his best option was to land in a lake when he could not find sufficient lift or return to an airport. Both wings were substantially damaged when the pilot landed in the lake. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# WPR22LA223