Masak Scimitar accident near Alexandria, PA
On May 22, 2004, a Masak Scimitar (glider) was involved in an accident near Alexandria, PA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- May 22, 2004
- Place
- Alexandria, PA
- Aircraft
- Masak Scimitar · Glider
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 40.499°N, 78.141°W
- NTSB ID
- 20040604X00737
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 22, 2004, at 1641 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt Scimitar, N12PX, was destroyed when it impacted a tree in mountainous terrain near Alexandria, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the flight, which departed Mifflin County Airport (RVL), Reedsville, Pennsylvania, about 1425. The competition flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to a member of the Soaring Society of America, the accident pilot was participating in the 15 Meter Nationals competition. The competition consisted of a "Modified Assigned Task" (MAT), with a 2.5-hour minimum time aloft constraint. The task area included a "start cylinder" with a 5-statute-mile radius and 5,000-foot agl top centered about 6 statute miles southeast of Mifflin County Airport, one mandatory 1-mile-radius turn point at Mill Creek, Pennsylvania, about 19 statute miles southwest of the airport, 34 additional 1-mile-radius turn points, and a finish line at the airport, about 3,000 feet northwest of the mid-point of runway 06-24. According to MAT rules, after a pilot passed the mandatory turn point, he could visit other turn points of his choice within the task area, with an objective of returning to the finish line at Mifflin County 2 1/2 hours or greater after starting. The pilot could return and finish in less than 2 1/2 hours, but his score would be penalized. A pilot could not repeat a turn point unless at least two other turn points had been reached in the interim, and a maximum of
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin. A factor was the turbulent wind conditions.
More accidents in PA
- Boeing B-737-300, Sep 8, 1994
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- British Aerospace J-3101, May 21, 2000
- Bell UH-1N, May 29, 2008
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Browse: Pennsylvania
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
