Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Alamogordo-White Sands Regiona Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Alamogordo, New Mexico 88310
Friday, November 23, 2001 15:13 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that shortly after an aero tow takeoff the flight encountered a strong wind gust which "caused the glider to balloon dangerously high above the tow plane." The pilot elected to release the tow rope at approximately 200 feet above ground level. An immediate right turn was initiated to an intersecting runway. The glider did not have sufficient altitude to make the runway and, subsequently, the right wing impacted small trees and the ground. The glider then ground looped 180 degrees and slid approximately 50 feet before coming to rest upright. The pilot reported that the wind at the time of the accident was from 350 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 25 knots. The automated weather observation facility on the airport reported the wind as from 210 degrees at 4 knots.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain altitude and clearance with small trees during a precautionary landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/23/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1513 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Alamogordo |
| Event State | NEW MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 88310 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 325023N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1055926W |
| Event Location Airport | Alamogordo-White Sands Regiona |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ALM |
| 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 | 4200 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Partial - limited by briefer |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| 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) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 350 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 25 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 11969 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 24 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 942 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 2 2002 4:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Albuquerque |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2078D |
| NTSB Number | FTW02LA043 |
| 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 | Eiriavion Oy |
| Aircraft Model | PIK 20D |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 20593 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 990 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 22 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 132 |
| Airframe Hours | 1732 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Lee R. Goettsche Jr. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2808 Charleston Street NE |
| Aircraft Owner City | Albuquerque |
| Aircraft Owner State | NM |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 87110 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| 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 | ALM |
| Departure City | Alamogordo |
| Departure State | NM |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1510 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | ALM |
| Destination City | Alamogordo |
| Destination State | NM |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | Yes |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 13 2002 1:06PM |
| User who most recently changed record | SNYG |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 34 |
| Runway Length | 3512 |
| Runway Width | 200 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |