Pzl PW-5 N105PS

Summary

On 30 August 2003 at about 21:16 local time, a Pzl PW-5 registered N105PS was involved in an accident near Yreka, California, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 August 2003 at 21:16

Classification

Accident

Location

Yreka, California, United States

Nearest airport

Siskiyou County (KSIY)

Coordinates

41.7289, -122.7747

Aircraft

Pzl PW-5

Registration

N105PS

Category

Glider

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Montague → Montague

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX03CA277

1 person had minor injuries.

the pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision and failure to maintain airspeed resulted in an inadvertent stall. A factor in the accident was the downdraft.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A glider impacted tree-covered terrain after encountering a downdraft. The glider was released from a tow airplane at 5,600 feet msl and climbed, using thermals, to 7,500 feet msl. The pilot maneuvered to a nearby ridge and was caught in a downdraft. He turned toward the ridge and lost altitude at a rapid pace. As he came closer to the treetops on the mountain, he lifted the nose, which resulted in a loss of airspeed. The glider stalled into the trees. During the pilot's glider training he was instructed to always turn away from ridges when "thermaling," in efforts to avoid downdrafts.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.