Schleicher AS-W19 N333US

Summary

On 12 March 2002 at about 23:00 local time, a Schleicher AS-W19 registered N333US was involved in an accident near Moriarty, New Mexico, 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.

Date

12 March 2002 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Moriarty, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

35.0400, -106.6092

Aircraft

Schleicher AS-W19

Registration

N333US

Category

Glider

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Albuquerque → Albuquerque

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW02LA092

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's attempt to perform a turn upwind at a altitude too low to complete the turn. A factor was the turbulance.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The glider and tow plane and were climbing through 400-500 feet AGL, when both aircraft encountered turbulence. The glider was "climbing and sinking rapidly and the glider pilot could not neutralize the motion. She believed that she had enough altitude to turn and make a downwind landing, so she released the tow line. The pilot then turned back to the runway to make a downwind landing. While in the turn, the pilot received a radio call from the ground telling her to try to continue around to make a landing into the wind. The pilot attempted to follow the instructions from the person on the ground, and the left wing tip contacted the ground before the turn was completed. The pilot stated that if she had continued on her original plan to land downwind, then she thought that she could have made the landing without incident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.