Rolladen-Schneider LS-3 N48CW
11 June 2006 · Buena Vista, Colorado, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 11 June 2006 at about 21:34 local time, a Rolladen-Schneider LS-3 registered N48CW was involved in an accident near Buena Vista, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. 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 21:34
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Buena Vista, Colorado, United States
- Nearest airport
- Central Colorado Regional (7V1)
- Coordinates
- 38.8133, -106.1172
- Aircraft
- Rolladen-Schneider LS-3
- Registration
- N48CW
- Category
- Glider
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Buena Vista → Buena Vista
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN06CA086
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control resulting in an inadvertent stall/mush. Contributing to the accident was the downdraft.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot had been soaring for about 4 hours when he decided to return to the airport. The AWOS (automated weather observation system) had been indicating that the wind was generally from the south-southeast at 10 to 18 knots. As the pilot got closer to the airport, AWOS indicated the wind was from 240 degrees and greater than 20 knots, then 250 degrees at 20 knots. When the pilot had descended to 700 feet agl (above ground level), he encountered a "strong sink." He said that he lost 400 feet in 12 seconds (2,000 fpm descent) and there was a barn, aircraft, and vehicles in his flight path. He decided to make a 180-degree turn in an attempt to land in a field west of the airport. The pilot rolled out of the turn at 30 feet agl. At 15 feet agl, the glider stalled and landed hard on rough, uneven terrain. The landing gear was torn off and the fuselage was buckled.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Rolladen-Schneider LS-3 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Mar 2011 | Rolladen-Schneider LS-3 | Winchester, Tennessee, United States | Ruegger Rebecca M | Serious injuries | - |
| 31 Jul 1995 | Rolladen-Schneider LS-3-17 | Sandia Park, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Jul 1990 | Rolladen-Schneider LS-3 | South Mountain, Pennsylvania, United States | Chares F. Dewald | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Dec 1987 | Rolladen-Schneider LS-3 | Santa Ynez, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 2006 | Boeing 747-400 | Denver, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Dec 2006 | Boeing 737-824 | Colorado Spring, Colorado, United States | Continental Airlines, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 5 Mar 2006 | Aviat PITTS S-2B | Severance, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Jun 2006 | McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 | Denver, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Jun 2006 | Malott MUSTANG II | Peyton, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Oct 2006 | Cessna T210G | Delta, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |