Hemet Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Hemet, California 92343
Monday, April 8, 1991 14:15 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE NON-CERTIFICATED STUDENT PILOT WAS LANDING HIS GLIDER IN A DIRT AND GRASS AREA BETWEEN TWO PARALLEL RUNWAYS. RECENT RAIN HAD PRODUCED A GROWTH OF NEW GRASS IN THE LANDING AREA. THE PILOT HAD NOT LANDED AT THE AIRPORT IN THE LAST 30 DAYS. THE PILOT WAS CONFUSED BY THE PATTERN OF NEW GRASS IN THE LANDING AREA AND TOUCHED DOWN IN AN AREA OF BARE GROUND THAT APPEARED TO BE THE PROPER LANDING ZONE, BUT WAS POSITIONED TOO CLOSE TO PARKED GLIDERS. DURING THE LANDING ROLL OUT, THE RIGHT WING TIP OF HIS GLIDER STRUCK THE LEFT WING OF A PARKED GLIDER AND THEN PIVOTED INTO THE LEFT SIDE OF A SECOND PARKED GLIDER. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. ALL THREE GLIDERS WERE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE FAILURE OF THE PIC TO SELECT A PROPER TOUCH DOWN POINT. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE LACK OF RECENT FAMILIARITY WITH THE GEOGRAPHIC LAYOUT OF THE LANDING AREA.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/8/1991
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1415
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City HEMET
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 92343
Event Date Year 1991
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport HEMET
Event Location Nearest Airport ID HMT
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 1512
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 20
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Variable
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 216
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 43299
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 9:44AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N2032T
NTSB Number LAX91LA165
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name SCHWEIZER
Aircraft Model SGS 2-33A
Aircraft Series Identifier SGS 2-33A
Aircraft Serial Number 462
Certified Max Gross Weight 1040
Aircraft Category Glider
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 0
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection Jan 2 2000 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name MICHAEL & JULIE VENABLE
Aircraft Owner Street Address P O BOX 443
Aircraft Owner City HEMET
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 92343
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name MICHAEL & JULIE VENABLE
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address P O BOX 443
Operator City HEMET
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 92343
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1355
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --