Schleicher ASW-27 N78AB

Summary

On 21 July 2011 at about 00:04 local time, a Schleicher ASW-27 registered N78AB, operated by Blackburn L Anderson, was involved in an accident near Preston, Idaho, 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

21 July 2011 at 00:04

Classification

Accident

Location

Preston, Idaho, United States

Coordinates

43.5081, -112.0689

Aircraft

Schleicher ASW-27

Registration

N78AB

Category

Glider

Operator

Blackburn L Anderson

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Logan → Preston

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR11CA342

Nobody was injured.

The glider's impact with crops during the off-airport landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The glider pilot reported that he was unable to find thermals that would provide suitable lift for continued flight. Subsequently, a field was selected that the pilot assessed was adequate for a successful landing. After overflying the field at 1,000 feet above ground level the pilot began his approach. The approach and touchdown were uneventful. During the landing roll, as the pilot deployed the speedbrakes and applied braking, the glider pitched forward and the left and right wings contacted crops that were located on either side of the glider's landing roll. The left wing engaged the crops more fully than the right wing and the glider yawed to the left before coming to rest. As a result, the empennage was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe that would have precluded normal flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.