Schweizer SGS 1-26B N8641R

Summary

On 28 December 2011 at about 20:30 local time, a Schweizer SGS 1-26B registered N8641R, operated by Lake Elsinore Soaring Club, was involved in an accident near Murrieta, 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

28 December 2011 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Murrieta, California, United States

Coordinates

33.5828, -117.3128

Aircraft

Schweizer SGS 1-26B

Registration

N8641R

Category

Glider

Operator

Lake Elsinore Soaring Club

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lake Elsinore → Lake Elsinore

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR12CA072

Nobody was injured.

The glider's encounter with insufficient atmospheric lift to maintain soaring flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a solo instructional glider flight, the student pilot released from the tow airplane at a planned altitude of 4,250 feet mean sea level. Upon the release, the student pilot was not able to locate any up-currents, and the sink rates the glider encountered varied between 200 to 600 feet per minute. The pilot stated that there was insufficient lift to clear the ridge safely and glide back to the airport, so he selected two open fields for a possible off-field landing. The pilot stated that, on final approach to the field, he observed signs between the glider’s current position and the intended landing site that he had not seen during his fly-by inspection. He maneuvered around the obstructions and decided to land on a road. The glider landed on the road, and the right wing collided with a previously unseen mailbox post, which resulted in substantial damage to the wing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.