Schempp-Hirth Standard Cirrus accident near Lone Pine, CA
On September 19, 2003, a Schempp-Hirth Standard Cirrus (glider) was involved in an accident near Lone Pine, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- September 19, 2003
- Place
- Lone Pine, CA
- Aircraft
- Schempp-Hirth Standard Cirrus · Glider
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 36.589°N, 118.023°W
- NTSB ID
- 20031001X01644
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 19, 2003, at 1503 Pacific daylight time, a Schempp-Hirth Standard Cirrus glider, N71DA, collided with power lines shortly after departing Lone Pine Airport, Lone Pine, California. The pilot/owner was operating the glider under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot, the sole occupant, received fatal injuries; the glider sustained substantial damage. The local area personal flight originated about 1440 from Lone Pine via a tow plane. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had not been filed. During a telephone conversation with a National Transportation Safety Board investigator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who responded to the accident reported that the pilot was a member of a glider organization, which was traveling around the country flying their gliders in various locations. Other members of the glider organization reported to the FAA inspector that the pilot arrived at the airport about 1030, and, as he had done many times prior, assembled his glider by himself. The FAA inspector further stated that he interviewed the pilot who was flying the airplane, which had the glider in tow. The tow plane pilot reported that during the initial climb out, the airplane's climb performance was poor, leading him to suspect that something was wrong with the glider. As he glanced out the window, he visually examined the glider in an effort to ascertain if the glider was indeed having a problem. He noticed that the glider's spoilers (which the manufacturer refers to as airbrakes) were configured in
Probable cause
the pilot's inadequate assembly of the glider and improper preflight inspection, which resulted in an inadvertent deployment of the spoilers. Also causal was the pilot's failure to maintain obstacle clearance. His diverted attention to the control problems presented by the deployed spoilers was a contributing factor.
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Browse: California · Schempp-Hirth aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
