Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Soaring Club Of Houston Glider Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Navasota, Texas 77868
Monday, September 3, 2012 16:22 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The glider pilot reported that he was about 5 miles from his destination airport and had enough altitude to make the field, but encountered sink and was unable to find additional lift. The pilot decided to conduct an off-field landing in a large open grass field. During the landing, the right wing tip hit the tall grass, which resulted in a ground loop when the glider was still several feet above ground. The nose yawed to the right and the glider impacted the terrain nose first. The wings, fuselage, and empennage were substantially damaged. The pilot stated that the accident could have been avoided if he had focused more on his choice of a landing spot and that he should have avoided landing in a field with tall grass. However, the pilot was likely unable to recognize the height of the grass in the field until the glider was low to the ground, and he selected the best possible landing site given what he knew at the time of the loss of lift.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s inadequate compensation for landing area conditions during an off-airport landing, which resulted in a loss of directional control and a collision with terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/3/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1622 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Navasota |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 77868 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 301611N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0955802W |
| Event Location Airport | Soaring Club of Houston Glider |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 89TA |
| 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 | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 308 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1553 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 311 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KCLL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 320 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 24 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Dawn |
| 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) | 37 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.92 |
| 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) | 30699 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Direct notification from Pilot |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 22 2012 12:57PM |
| User who most recently changed record | latt |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N27UP |
| NTSB Number | CEN12CA608 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | ROLLADEN-SCHNEIDER OHG |
| Aircraft Model | LS3-A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3280 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1040 |
| Aircraft Category | Glider |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 23 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1101 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | TOMASZ L CIESIELSKI |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | HOUSTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 77077-1813 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | TOMASZ L CIESIELSKI |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | HOUSTON |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 77077-1813 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 87TA |
| Departure City | Waller |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 87TA |
| Destination City | Waller |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 22 2012 11:58AM |
| User who most recently changed record | latt |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |