Rolladen-Schneider LS8-18 C-GFPQ
16 April 2007 · Circleville, West Virginia, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 16 April 2007 at about 12:46 local time, a Rolladen-Schneider LS8-18 registered C-GFPQ, operated by Dale C. Kramer, was involved in an accident near Circleville, West Virginia, 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 12:46
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Circleville, West Virginia, United States
- Coordinates
- 38.6200, -79.4867
- Aircraft
- Rolladen-Schneider LS8-18
- Registration
- C-GFPQ
- Category
- Glider
- Operator
- Dale C. Kramer
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Air Race/Show
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Williamsport → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC07LA095
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The glider's inadvertent encounter with mechanical turbulence.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was attempting a ridge-soaring world glider record flight. Two weeks earlier, he completed a similar flight utilizing the same Appalachian ridge lift conditions. The pilot stated that he had prepared "extensively" for the flight, and had consistently monitored the weather conditions during the previous 2 weeks. The pilot also noted that he was very familiar with the ridge, having flown more than 500 hours over it, including a first place finish at a previous year's competition. The pilot characterized the flight, until the accident, as "uneventful," with "good" visibility and winds "favorable for ridge lift." The pilot did not have to make any 360-degree turns during the flight. He was "cruising on course" when he encountered mechanical turbulence near the "spine" of a mountain, which drove the glider down and into the side of a ridge. The pilot and glider were located the following day. There were no mechanical anomalies noted with the glider.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Rolladen-Schneider LS8 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 2009 | Rolladen-Schneider LS8-18 | Fairfield, Pennsylvania, United States | Mueller Frederick Karl | Serious injuries | - |
| 6 Jul 2002 | Rolladen-Schneider LS8-18 | Incline Village, Nevada, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 21 Mar 2016 | Rolladen-Schneider LS8 | Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, United States | Carlyle, John M. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Nov 2007 | Piper PA-18-135 | Durbin, West Virginia, United States | Van Wagner Aerial Media | No injuries | - |
| 26 Aug 2007 | Cessna 172 | Julian, West Virginia, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 10 May 2007 | Piper PA-28-180 | Fairmont, West Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Oct 2007 | Aero Commander 560-F | Wiley Ford, West Virginia, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 6 Sep 2007 | Furey KITFOX IV | Cowen, West Virginia, United States | Dwayne McCourt | Minor injuries | - |
| 29 Oct 2006 | Cessna 172N | Morgantown, West Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |