Butterfield Oaks Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Warner Springs, California 92086
Sunday, April 29, 1984 13:40 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE SAILPLANE WAS FOUND IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AMOUNG 10 TO 15 FOOT RIBBON-WOOD SHRUBS APPROX 250 FT WNW OF THE DEPARTURE END OF A SMALL AIRSTRIP. BOTH WINGS WERE FOUND DISPLACED FORWARD WITH THE RT ONE FORMING A STRAIGHT LINE EXTENSION FORWARD FM THE FUSELAGE. NO WITNESSES WERE FOUND THAT OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT. THE PLT HAD BEEN ATTEMPTING A 5 HOUR DURATION FLT WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF FLYING OUR 300 MILES TO QUALIFY FOR A DISTANCE AWARD. TRANSMISSIONS TO THE CO-OWNER ON THE GROUND INDICATED HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE MAINTAINING ALT AND HIS ORTENTATION TO HIS PLANNED COURSE. HIS LAST TRANSMISSION STATED THAT HE HAD BEEN MISTAKEN ABOUT HIS PRIOR LOCATION AND THAT HE HAD TO DUMP HIS BALLAST. A BAROGRAPH WAS FOUND IN THE ACFT WHICH INDICATED OUR 2 HOURS OF FLT TIME WITH AT LEAST 2 LOSSES OF ALT BFR THE FINAL DECREASE. IN ADDITION THE LAST ALT DECREASE WAS PRECEEDED BY A SLIGHT INCREASE IN ALT FOLLOWED BY WHAT APPEARS TO BE A RAPID DECREASE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/29/1984
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1340
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City WARNER SPRINGS
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 92086
Event Date Year 1984
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport BUTTERFIELD OAKS
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 3L5
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 300
Airport Elevation 3100
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Unknown
Time of the weather observation 1346 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 225
Weather Observation Facility ID CFO
Elevation of weather observation facility 328
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 30
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 25000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 12
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 120
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 12
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 3147
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 27119
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N811
NTSB Number LAX84FA275
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Rolladen-Schneider
Aircraft Model LS3
Aircraft Series Identifier LS3
Aircraft Serial Number 3051
Certified Max Gross Weight 825
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 1
Number of Engines 0
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Mar 18 1984 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 17
Airframe Hours 480
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name PATRICK W. PHILBRICK
Aircraft Owner Street Address 23791 VIA LA CORONA
Aircraft Owner City MISSION VIEJO
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 92691
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code HMT
Departure City HEMET
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1130
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code HMT
Destination City HEMT
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 10
Runway Length 2400
Runway Width 50
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --