Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-CM N41BM

Summary

On 10 August 2007 at about 21:15 local time, a Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-CM registered N41BM, operated by Geofrey R. Loyns, was involved in an accident near Benton, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 August 2007 at 21:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Benton, California, United States

Coordinates

37.8469, -118.3933

Aircraft

Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-CM

Registration

N41BM

Category

Glider

Engines

1

Operator

Geofrey R. Loyns

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Minden → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA07FA231

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while maneuvering and the inadvertent entry into a stall/spin. Contributing to the accident were the mountainous terrain conditions, unfavorable wind conditions, and the terrain-induced turbulent wind conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

"THIS CASE WAS MODIFIED MARCH 25, 2009." The pilot departed in a 58-foot-wingspan single-seat motor glider for a round-robin cross-country flight. The intended flight path passed over steep, rugged, mountainous terrain, which had a maximum elevation of 14,100 feet. Four other gliders departed with the accident glider, and the four returned to their departure base about an hour later due to unfavorable winds out of the south and weak lift. The pilot was very experienced with the terrain and proceeded on. His last communication with the four returning gliders was that he was at 16,700 feet and he was headed for a major peak (13,700 feet) on his route of flight. Search and rescue activities were initiated when the pilot failed to return. Friends of the pilot located the missing glider two days later. The wreckage impact signatures, ground scars, and the debris field were consistent with the glider impacting the mountain in a nose-down vertical descent consistent with a spin. The recorded wind at a nearby weather station was from 180 degrees at 16 knots, gusting to 24 knots. The mountain peak and gorge type topographic features within 1.5 miles directly upwind from the accident site could easily have generated mountain wave and turbulent conditions in the area of the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.