Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS 3/24.5 N4427M
17 June 1997 · MacDoel, California, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 17 June 1997 at about 00:40 local time, a Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS 3/24.5 registered N4427M was involved in an accident near MacDoel, California, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 00:40
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- MacDoel, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 41.7395, -121.8899
- Aircraft
- Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS 3/24.5
- Registration
- N4427M
- Category
- Glider
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Montague → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX97LA215
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to see and avoid a set of power lines while making an off-airport landing due to a lack of lift.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that while in a closed circuit race he was attempting to gain altitude in a thermal, which disappeared. The glider did not have sufficient altitude to continue and the pilot elected to return and land at an airport he had passed earlier. About 4 miles from the airport, an unexpected heavy sink rate was encountered. He picked an alternate landing site and on final approach to the south, he noticed a set of power lines different than the ones he had previously seen. They ran from east to west at the northern edge of the dirt strip. In order to avoid the obstructions, he went over the power lines. The right wing caught the wires, and the glider fell to the ground.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jul 1999 | Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS 4DM | Minden, Nevada, United States | William S. Ivans | Fatal | 2 |
| 30 May 1993 | Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS II | Buena Vista, Colorado, United States | Kile, R. L. | Serious injuries | - |
| 24 May 2001 | Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS-3DM | Alamogordo, New Mexico, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 24 Jun 2001 | Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS 3/24.5 | Montague, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 Sep 1990 | Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS-2C | California City, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 16 Jun 2007 | Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS-3DM | Minden, Nevada, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Aug 1997 | Airbus A300 B4-203 | Los Angeles, California, United States | Pan American World Airways, In | No injuries | - |
| 15 Aug 1997 | Bell UH-1H | Tahoe City, California, United States | Usda / Forest Service | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 Oct 1997 | Cessna 152 | Julian, California, United States | Plus One Flyers, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 11 Oct 1997 | Schweizer 2-32 | Warner Springs, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Oct 1997 | Bellanca 7ECA | Tracy, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 Oct 1997 | Extra Flugzeugbau EA-300 | Castaic, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |