Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Creswell, Oregon 97426
Monday, May 24, 2004 15:00 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The glider was released from the tow plane about 10 miles north of Hobby Field, approximately 7,000 feet above the ground (agl). After release, the pilot attempted to find areas of lift around the Coburg Hills, and then started back toward the airport with the intention of being at least 3,000 feet agl when she arrived at the northern edge of Springfield, Oregon (about seven miles north of the airport). But, as the pilot flew south toward Springfield, she encountered a considerable amount of descending air, and the aircraft was down to about 2,400 feet agl when it arrived over the northern portion of Springfield. The pilot then continued to the south, and attempted to find ascending air around Pisgah Mountain, but was unable to do so. She then proceeded further south to Short Mountain (about one mile east of the accident site), and again tried to locate an ascending air mass, but was again unsuccessful. Soon thereafter she decided to discontinue her attempt to continue to Hobby Field, and instead set up for a landing in a nearby open field. The field she chose was about three miles north of Hobby Field, and covered with very tall grass/grain. As she approached the field from the north, she realized that the aircraft's ground speed was higher than it would normally be during an approach for landing because it was at that time experiencing a tailwind of 10 or more knots. She therefore decided to attempt to turn back into the wind prior to touching down in the field. During that turn the pilot allowed the aircraft's left wing to get caught in the tall grass, and it did a one-quarter cartwheel into the terrain.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the terrain while attempting to maneuver the aircraft into the wind during an off-airport landing in an open field. Factors include the pilot's inadequate in flight planning, tailwind conditions during an attempted turn from downwind to base, and tall vegetation in the area that the pilot found it necessary to land in.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/24/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1500 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Creswell |
| Event State | OREGON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 97426 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 435844N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1230024W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| 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 | 5500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| 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) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 16433 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 24 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1625 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 29 2004 1:02PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Portland FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N101Q |
| NTSB Number | SEA04LA092 |
| 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 | Start & Flug |
| Aircraft Model | H-101 Salto |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 50 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 617 |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 10 2003 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 | Susan K. Hirtz |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3280 Stoney Ridge Rd. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Eugene |
| Aircraft Owner State | OR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 97405 |
| 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 | 77S |
| Departure City | Creswell |
| Departure State | OR |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1400 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 77S |
| 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 | Aug 5 2004 11:58AM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |