Schweizer SGS-2-33A N65825

Summary

On 19 July 2009 at about 22:10 local time, a Schweizer SGS-2-33A registered N65825, operated by Soar Truckee Inc, was involved in an accident near Truckee, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 July 2009 at 22:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Truckee, California, United States

Nearest airport

Truckee (TRK)

Coordinates

39.3186, -120.1369

Aircraft

Schweizer SGS-2-33A

Registration

N65825

Category

Glider

Operator

Soar Truckee Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Truckee → Truckee

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR09CA359

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed to avoid a stall during final approach to land. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of experience.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student glider pilot had flown in the morning, and returned for a flight to gain experience in afternoon wind conditions. This was his eighth solo flight, and his launch limitations were surface winds less than 10 miles per hour (mph) and crosswinds no greater than 60 degrees to the runway. Takeoff conditions met those parameters, and he departed. He returned to land and set up a pattern approach to runway 19, maintaining about 60 mph at 700-800 feet above ground level (agl). The pilot felt that his altitude was high on the downwind leg so he performed a slip maneuver to lose altitude to 500-600 feet. When turning to the base leg, the glider suddenly lost altitude to about 300 feet agl, and the pilot initiated an early turn to final. The student's certified flight instructor (CFI) reported that, when the student turned from downwind to base, the glider was lower than expected, and he observed the spoilers open. As the CFI was about to radio the student, the spoilers closed. The CFI stated that the glider was low, slow, and nose high as it approached the runway threshold. It appeared to stall, and dropped onto the runway from an altitude of 5-6 feet. It hit hard, bounced, and dragged both wing tips. After the glider came to a rest, the CFI reported that the spoiler's were not out. A witness stated that the winds had been from the south-southwest at 10 knots most of the day with occasional gusts greater than 10 knots. Twenty minutes prior to the accident, the wind was reported from 270 degrees at 16 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.