Schempp-Hirth STANDARD CIRRUS N62305

Summary

On 25 August 2007 at about 22:30 local time, a Schempp-Hirth STANDARD CIRRUS registered N62305, operated by Rulon J. Horne, was involved in an accident near Heber, Utah, 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.

Date

25 August 2007 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Heber, Utah, United States

Nearest airport

Heber City Municipal (36U)

Coordinates

40.4817, -111.4286

Aircraft

Schempp-Hirth STANDARD CIRRUS

Registration

N62305

Category

Glider

Operator

Rulon J. Horne

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Heber → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX07LA257

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient airspeed during landing, resulting in an inadvertent stall/spin, undershoot and collision with the ground.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The glider approached the destination airport and adjoined with the downwind leg of the traffic pattern to the active runway. The glider immediately started a rapid descent with the spoilers in the extended (open) position. The glider continued in that configuration until reaching about 200 feet above ground level (agl), at which point the nose pitched up. The glider entered a stall/spin, impacting the desert terrain below, short of the runway. An examination of the wreckage disclosed that the spoilers were fully open at the time of impact and the landing gear was still in the undercarriage. No evidence of mechanical malfunction or failure was found during the examination.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.