Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Cle Elum Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cle Elum, Washington 98922
Thursday, October 13, 2011 15:58 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Witnesses reported that the glider became airborne within the first one-third of the runway during an automobile ground launch. The glider then pitched to a steep nose-high attitude and ascended through about 100 to 125 feet when the rope broke. The glider continued to ascend and momentarily leveled off near the end of the runway. The glider then entered a steep right bank angle turn and descended, turning about 300 degrees from its initial departure heading before it impacted terrain.
Postaccident examination of the glider revealed no evidence of a malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation. The glider’s right turn and associated steep bank angle likely resulted in a significant loss of airspeed and subsequent aerodynamic stall at a low altitude, with insufficient altitude for the pilot to recover. It is also likely that the tow rope reached its maximum tensile load and broke as a result of the rapid pitch-up maneuver after takeoff. The reason for the rapid pitch up maneuver could not be determined.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed and control after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/13/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1558 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Cle Elum |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 98922 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 471139N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1205300W |
| Event Location Airport | Cle Elum Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | S93 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1944 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1653 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ELN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1764 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 17 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| 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) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 160 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.09 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 31381 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC Seattle |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 22 2013 4:25PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7760A |
| NTSB Number | WPR12FA010 |
| 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 | DG FLUGZEUGBAU GMBH |
| Aircraft Model | DG 1000S |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 10-34S33 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1389 |
| Aircraft Category | Glider |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 1 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 0 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 28 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 764 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | NORTHWEST EAGLE SOARING LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | TUKWILA |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 98178-4628 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | NORTHWEST EAGLE SOARING LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | TUKWILA |
| Operator State | WA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 98178-4628 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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) | Other Work Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | S93 |
| Departure City | Cle Elum |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1558 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | S93 |
| Destination City | Cle Elum |
| Destination State | WA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 22 2013 4:13PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 07 |
| Runway Length | 2552 |
| Runway Width | 40 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |