Rolladen-Schneider Ohg LS3-A N27UP

Summary

On 3 September 2012 at about 21:22 local time, a Rolladen-Schneider Ohg LS3-A registered N27UP was involved in an accident near Navasota, 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

3 September 2012 at 21:22

Classification

Accident

Location

Navasota, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Soaring Club of Houston Glider (89TA)

Coordinates

30.2697, -95.9672

Aircraft

Rolladen-Schneider Ohg LS3-A

Registration

N27UP

Category

Glider

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Waller → Waller

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dawn

NTSB number

CEN12CA608

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s inadequate compensation for landing area conditions during an off-airport landing, which resulted in a loss of directional control and a collision with terrain.

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 about 5 miles from his destination airport and had enough altitude to make the field, but encountered sink and was unable to find additional lift. The pilot decided to conduct an off-field landing in a large open grass field. During the landing, the right wing tip hit the tall grass, which resulted in a ground loop when the glider was still several feet above ground. The nose yawed to the right and the glider impacted the terrain nose first. The wings, fuselage, and empennage were substantially damaged. The pilot stated that the accident could have been avoided if he had focused more on his choice of a landing spot and that he should have avoided landing in a field with tall grass. However, the pilot was likely unable to recognize the height of the grass in the field until the glider was low to the ground, and he selected the best possible landing site given what he knew at the time of the loss of lift.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.