Plane Crash List

Hph GLASFLUGEL N974CQ

20 June 2021 · Winthrop, Washington, United States · Minor injuries

Summary

On 20 June 2021 at about 22:16 local time, a Hph GLASFLUGEL registered N974CQ was involved in an accident near Winthrop, Washington, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 22:16
Classification
Accident
Location
Winthrop, Washington, United States
Coordinates
48.6258, -120.1545
Aircraft
Hph GLASFLUGEL
Registration
N974CQ
Category
Glider
Year built
2001
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Personal
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Twisp → Unknown
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
WPR21LA235

People

1 person had minor injuries.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
1 0 0 1 0

Probable cause

The glider’s encounter with atmospheric conditions where the lift was not sufficient to maintain flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The glider pilot reported that after an uneventful tow to 4,000 ft msl (about 2,300 ft agl), he proceeded to fly north with the intention of reaching a mountain peak about 40 miles away. Soaring conditions were good, and the glider had climbed to about 10,500 ft msl by the time he reached a peak at the halfway point. On the second leg, the glider started to encounter sink, and the pilot continued to fly along mountain ridges to regain altitude. The pilot managed to climb the glider back to 8,000 ft, but again began to encounter sink and decided to work along mountain ridges back to the south with the intention of landing at an intermediary airport. He was not able to maintain altitude, and ultimately decided to perform an off-airport landing into a valley clearing. During the landing roll the right wing was substantially damaged when it struck a tree. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

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