Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS II N71JD
8 July 1987 · Hobbs, New Mexico, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 8 July 1987 at about 20:00 local time, a Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS II registered N71JD, operated by James M. Stabler, was involved in an accident near Hobbs, New Mexico, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.
The record
- Date
- at 20:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Hobbs, New Mexico, United States
- Coordinates
- 32.7300, -103.1599
- Aircraft
- Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS II
- Registration
- N71JD
- Category
- Glider
- Operator
- James M. Stabler
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Hobbs → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN87LA175
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.
Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PVT PLT WAS FLYING IN A NATIONAL SOARING CONTEST. THE GLIDER WAS TOWED TO 2000 FEET AGL AND RELEASED. THE PLT REPORTED MAKING A CLIMBING RIGHT TURN AFTER RELEASE, HOWEVER HE NOTICED THAT THE CONTROL STICK WAS MORE AFT THAN NORMAL. AS THE FLIGHT PROGRESSED, THE STICK CAME TO A FULL AFT POSITION. THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO GET ANY UP ELEVATOR CONTROL RESPONSE. THE ALTITUDE HAD DETERIORATED TO 1300 FEET AGL. THE PLT BAILED OUT SUCCESSFULLY. THE ACFT INVERTED, ENTERED A FLAT SPIN AND CRASHED. THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE BELIEVED THE ELEVATOR CONTROL WAS INADVERTENTLY ASSEMBLED IMPROPERLY. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT REVEAL EVIDENCE TO EXPLAIN REPORTED LOSS OF ELEVATOR CONTROL.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Jul 1986 | Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS IIIT | Hawthorne, Nevada, United States | Carl D. Herold | No injuries | - |
| 3 Sep 1990 | Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS-2C | California City, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 1 May 1983 | Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS II | California City, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 30 May 1993 | Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS II | Buena Vista, Colorado, United States | Kile, R. L. | Serious injuries | - |
| 17 Jun 1997 | Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS 3/24.5 | MacDoel, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Jul 1999 | Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS 4DM | Minden, Nevada, United States | William S. Ivans | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Oct 1987 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7-B | Rio Rancho, New Mexico, United States | Janet L. Hodges | No injuries | - |
| 8 Oct 1987 | Rockwell 690B | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 11 Oct 1987 | Aerostar S-66A | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | Alpine Adventures | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 Oct 1987 | Piper PA-28-140 | Lordsburg, New Mexico, United States | William Coker | No injuries | - |
| 5 Oct 1987 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Oct 1987 | Piper PA-24-260C | Timberon, New Mexico, United States | Blesius, Cornelius | Serious injuries | - |