Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Garner Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Uvalde, Texas 78801-6904
Friday, August 17, 2012 15:20 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilots of both gliders were engaged in an international gliding competition. The pilot of F-CIFB said he was circling at an altitude of about 6,000 feet mean sea level (msl) when he observed that the pilot of D-6080 was operating in a good “bubble” (thermal) about 325 feet below him. The pilot of F-CIFB maneuvered his glider into the same “bubble” behind D-6080. Shortly thereafter, he heard his glider’s proximity alarm sound "BELOW" and felt an impact.
The pilot of D-6080 said he was climbing with several other gliders in a strong thermal when he was struck by F-CIFB from behind. He said he did not see the glider and was unaware of its presence. The collision occurred about 5,700 feet msl. The pilot of D-6080 parachuted to safety. The pilot of F-CIFB landed the glider uneventfully with minor damage to its left wing. The empennage of D-6080 was severed and later found some distance from the main wreckage. Damage was consistent with D-6080 being struck from below and behind by F-CIFB.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The glider pilot’s inadequate visual lookout and collision avoidance just after joining a thermal in which other gliders were operating, which resulted in a midair collision with another glider.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/17/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1520 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Uvalde |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 78801-6904 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | -- |
| Event Location Latitude | 290649N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0995642W |
| Event Location Airport | Garner Field |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KUVA |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 18 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 942 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Unknown |
| Time of the weather observation | 1335 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 45 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KUVA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 942 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 19 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 6500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| 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) | 37 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 160 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 16 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.91 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KUVA 171535Z AUTO 16005KT 10SM SCT065 37/17 A2991 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 31141 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ASW ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 20 2013 3:52PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bakd |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | F-CIFB | D-6080 |
| NTSB Number | CEN12LA553A | CEN12LA553B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- | -- |
| Damage | Minor | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | SCHLEICHER | SCHLEICHER |
| Aircraft Model | ASG29-15M | ASG29-15M |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 29066 | 29641 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1160 | 1160 |
| Aircraft Category | Glider | Glider |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 | 1 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 | 1 |
| Number of Engines | -- | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 10 2012 12:00AM | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 150 | -- |
| ELT Installed | No | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Federatio Francaise de Vol A Voile (FFVV) | Peter Hartmann |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Paris | Borgo Ticino |
| Aircraft Owner State | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Country | FR | IT |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92100 | 28040 |
| Operator is an individual? | No | No |
| Operator Name | Louis Bouderlique | Peter Hartmann |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- | -- |
| Operator City | Boulogne-Billan Court | Borgo Ticino |
| Operator State | -- | -- |
| Operator Country | FR | IT |
| Operator Zip code | -- | 28040 |
| Operator Code | -- | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No | 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) | Air Race/Show | Air Race/Show |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KUVA | KUVA |
| Departure City | Uvalde | Uvalde |
| Departure State | TX | TX |
| Departure Country | USA | USA |
| Departure Time | 1300 | 1330 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | KUVA | KUVA |
| Destination City | Uvalde | Uvalde |
| Destination State | TX | TX |
| Destination Country | USA | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 21 2013 12:03AM | Jan 21 2013 12:03AM |
| User who most recently changed record | scoa | scoa |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- | -- |
| Runway Width | -- | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |