Schleicher ASH 26 E N26XL

Summary

On 2 November 2005 at about 17:40 local time, a Schleicher ASH 26 E registered N26XL was involved in an accident near Sparks, Nevada, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 November 2005 at 17:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Sparks, Nevada, United States

Coordinates

39.5714, -119.7208

Aircraft

Schleicher ASH 26 E

Registration

N26XL

Category

Glider

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Inyokern → Inyokern

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX06LA024

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions which resulted in a subsequent loss of control and an in-flight breakup. A contributing factor was the spool up delay for the emergency turn and bank indicator.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During cruise flight while in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), the pilot lost control of his glider and experienced an in-flight breakup. The wings separated from the glider, and the pilot bailed out. The flight was planned as an attempt to set a cross-country glider record using standing lenticular wave conditions along the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The pilot was on an instrument flight plan and was cleared for a block altitude between 18,000 and 28,000 feet. The pilot reported experiencing internal canopy icing that interfered with his view through the canopy. When wiping the canopy clear of frost, he observed that the glider was approaching clouds and would shortly be in instrument conditions. The pilot turned on his emergency standby gyro (electric turn and bank), but it did not spool up completely before he entered the clouds and lost control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.