Glaser-Dirks DG 600 N787T

Summary

On 25 March 2005 at about 21:00 local time, a Glaser-Dirks DG 600 registered N787T, operated by Albert Heath, was involved in an accident near Kent, Texas, 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

25 March 2005 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Kent, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Culberson County Airport (VHN)

Coordinates

31.0333, -104.7333

Aircraft

Glaser-Dirks DG 600

Registration

N787T

Category

Glider

Operator

Albert Heath

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Marfa → Marfa

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW05CA096

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's misjudgement of distance and altitude during a cross-country soaring flight. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The 3,460-hour commercial glider pilot reported that, while soaring, he encountered poor thermal conditions and the glider began to lose altitude. The pilot observed a field by a ranch house and elected to land there. As the pilot approached the field, he observed high power lines at the approach end and a fence and shed at the far end of the field. When the glider was approximately 300 feet above ground level (agl), the pilot decided that the field would be an unsuitable place to land and turned approximately 270 degrees and executed a precautionary landing in the "best part of a bad area." When the glider was two to three feet agl, the left wingtip impacted a cactus. The glider then pivoted approximately 70 degrees, slid, and the right wing then impacted another cactus.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.