Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Front Royal-Warren County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Front Royal, Virginia 22630
Thursday, July 5, 2001 16:23 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During the glider flight, the pilot determined that he lacked sufficient lift to return to his home airport, and he selected an off-airport landing site. The pilot stated he was aware of the trees and wires along his planned approach path, and determined that they would not be a factor. The pilot said that as he maneuvered towards his landing site, he abbreviated and steepened his approach in an effort to touchdown in the first one-third of the field. Just prior to touchdown, the left wing struck a tree, and the glider impacted terrain. According to the pilot, "I set up for an abbreviated approach when I really didn't need to. I rushed the approach and I was high on my base and turn to final. I knew the trees were there, but I really didn't see them as a factor. If I were 2 feet to the right and 3 feet higher, we wouldn't be having this conversation. I just didn't see the obstacle."
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's inadequate altitude/clearance from a tree along his final approach path.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/5/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1623 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Front Royal |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 22630 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 385702N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0781701W |
| Event Location Airport | Front Royal-Warren County |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | FRR |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 4 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 240 |
| Airport Elevation | 709 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1620 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 30 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | OKV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 727 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 17 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 260 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 15 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.83 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 2497 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 13367 |
| NTSB Notification Source | DULLES FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 5 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 915 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 13 2003 12:26PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Washington DC (Dulles) |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N113RM |
| NTSB Number | IAD01LA076 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Rolladen-Schneider |
| Aircraft Model | LS3-A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3352 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1041 |
| 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 | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 24 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 40 |
| Airframe Hours | 820 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Frederick K. Schneider |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Winchester |
| Aircraft Owner State | VA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 22601 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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 | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | FRR |
| Departure City | Front Royal |
| Departure State | VA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| 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 | Approach - VFR pattern - final approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 17 2002 3:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PEAR |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |