Schleicher ASW-27 accident near Middletown, CA
On November 28, 2009, a Schleicher ASW-27 (glider) was involved in an accident near Middletown, CA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- November 28, 2009
- Place
- Middletown, CA
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASW-27 · Glider
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 38.760°N, 122.557°W
- NTSB ID
- 20091128X53127
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On November 28, 2009, at 1101 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-25-235 airplane, N7023Z, and a Schleicher ASW-27 glider, N127AL, collided during the landing approach at Crazy Creek Private Gliderport, Middletown, California. The airplane was operated by Calsoar, Inc., d.b.a. Crazy Creek Air Adventures, as a glider tow flight. The glider was operated by the pilot as a local personal flight. Both aircraft were operating under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The private pilot onboard the glider, and the commercial pilot onboard the airplane, were killed. Both aircraft were substantially damaged. The airplane and glider departed Crazy Creek at 1056. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The airplane departed the airport with the glider in tow. Witnesses then observed the airplane and glider release west of the airport at an altitude of between 2,000 and 3,000 feet mean sea level (msl). The airplane then maneuvered in the vicinity of the release, and turned back towards the airport. After release, the glider tracked to the north along an adjacent ridgeline and shortly thereafter, turned to the southeast back towards the airport. Witnesses described gusting crosswind conditions at the time of takeoff, with one witness reporting that the airplane was being, "knocked around" during climb out. According to witnesses, both aircraft entered the downwind leg of the single northwest runway about the same time, with the glider on the right downwind leg and the airplane on the left downwind le
Probable cause
The failure of both pilots to see and avoid the other airplane. Contributing to the accident was the pilot flying a non-standard approach to the private airstrip.
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Browse: California · Schleicher 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.
