Schleicher ALEXANDER N12053

Summary

On 30 March 2013 at about 21:00 local time, a Schleicher ALEXANDER registered N12053, operated by Eddie Hoglan, was involved in an accident near Littlefield, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 March 2013 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Littlefield, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Littlefield Municipal Airport (KLIU)

Coordinates

33.9239, -102.3867

Aircraft

Schleicher ALEXANDER

Registration

N12053

Category

Glider

Operator

Eddie Hoglan

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Littlefield → Littlefield

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN13FA213

2 people died.

The pilot’s improper decision to conduct aerobatic maneuvers in a glider not approved for such maneuvers. Contributing to the accident was the degradation of the adhesive holding the wing together, which should have been detected either during the last annual inspection or preflight inspection.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses reported that, the glider, which was not approved for aerobatic maneuvers, was riding thermals about 2,000 feet above the ground when it appeared to exit a thermal and then execute a tight loop, which is considered to be an aerobatic maneuver. Witnesses then heard a loud sound, saw the glider spinning to the ground, and a portion of the right wing separate and fall to the ground. The glider continued to spin until it impacted terrain. An examination of the wreckage revealed that the flight controls were continuous before the wing separated and the airplane impacted terrain. A review of the glider's maintenance logbooks revealed that the annual inspection was accomplished about 12 months before the accident and that the airplane was approved to be in airworthy condition. An inspection recommended by the British Gliding Association, which was intended to reveal glue joint deterioration, had not been completed. An examination of the separated wing section revealed evidence of multiple fractures due to tension and torsion. The condition of the wing's adhesive joints was mostly degraded and poor. The adhesive was very brittle, and cracks and areas of disbonding were observed. Stains and mold were observed on the wing's leading edge interior, indicative of moisture ingress, which can degrade the adhesive bonds and the wood structure. The leading edge ribs were easily pulled apart at the joints, which allowed them to separate without fracturing under minimal force. Despite the condition of the adhesive, it could not be determined whether the wing would have fractured under design load conditions, but the aerobatic maneuver placed the wing under greater load conditions. However, a thorough inspection of the wing interior, either during the last annual inspection or preflight inspection, would likely have revealed evidence of moisture and adhesive disbonding, which should have led to concerns about the airworthiness of the glider.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.