Schempp-Hirth STANDARD CIRRUS N7880

Summary

On 23 June 2018 at about 21:08 local time, a Schempp-Hirth STANDARD CIRRUS registered N7880 was involved in an accident near Aguila, Arizona, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 June 2018 at 21:08

Classification

Accident

Location

Aguila, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Sampley's (28AZ)

Coordinates

33.9308, -113.1781

Aircraft

Schempp-Hirth STANDARD CIRRUS

Registration

N7880

Category

Glider

Year built

1970

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Aguila → Aguila

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR18FA178

1 person died.

The pilot's exceedance of the glider's critical angle of attack while attempting a thermal climb at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin at an altitude that precluded recovery.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The glider pilot departed the airport via a tow winch for a local area flight. The tow winch driver reported that the takeoff and flight in the pattern were normal. When he observed the glider again, about 3 minutes later, it was crossing the approach end of the runway at an altitude of about 400 ft. The glider made a right 360° turn, abruptly pitched 60° nose-down and completed two spins. The glider came to rest inverted on the desert floor. An examination of the glider revealed no mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations. Investigators established flight control continuity, and all breaks were attributed to impact forces. Given the glider's circling at low altitude, it is likely that the pilot encountered atmospheric lift (thermal) and was attempting to climb when he inadvertently exceeded the glider's critical angle of attack and entered an aerodynamic stall/spin. The glider's low altitude at the time of the spin entry would have precluded recovery.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.