Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Jacumba Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Jacumba, California 91934
Saturday, June 29, 2013 12:29 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On June 29, 2013, at 1229 Pacific daylight time, an Allstar PZL Glider: SZD-54-2 PERKOZ, N684SD, collided with the ground during a winch launch at Jacumba Airport, Jacumba, California. The glider was registered to, and operated by, Associated Glider Clubs of Southern California, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The private pilot and airline transport pilot rated passenger sustained fatal injuries. The glider sustained substantial damaged during the accident sequence. The local flight departed Jacumba, at 1228. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The Vice President of the glider club reported that he flew the glider earlier in the day with the same passenger who was on board for the accident. They utilized the winch for the launch, and the takeoff and flight were uneventful, with the glider performing normally.
For the accident flight, the glider was towed back to the launch position at the east end of runway 25, and connected to the towline. Due to the light wind and minimal lift conditions, the pilot’s intention was to perform a flight within the immediate confines of the airport.
Multiple witnesses observed the launch sequence, reporting that the ground roll, rotation, and initial climb were uneventful. At an altitude of between 150 and 300 feet agl, the towline released from the glider; it then banked to the right, the nose dropped, and the glider began a right spin followed by a nose-down collision with the ground.
The glider came to rest about 1,200 feet beyond the initial launch position, on the adjacent apron, just north of the runway. The entire cabin area was fragmented through to the wing leading edges. Both wings remained attached at the aft fuselage, with the right wing sustaining upward bending damage at the tip.
According to pilots familiar with the winch system, the standard procedure is for the pilot to release the towline once the glider has reached an altitude of between 1,000 and 1,600 feet agl.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/29/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1229 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Jacumba |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 91934 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 323659n |
| Event Location Longitude | 1160953w |
| Event Location Airport | Jacumba |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | L78 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 2844 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1256 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 45 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KNJK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -48 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 28 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 10000 |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 47 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 120 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.66 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KNJK 291956Z 12005KT 10SM FEW100 SCT140 SCT2 |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA LAX ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 11 2013 7:05PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N684SD |
| NTSB Number | WPR13FA300 |
| 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 | ALLSTAR PZL GLIDER |
| Aircraft Model | SZD-54-2 PERKOZ |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 542.A.10.001 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| 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 | ASSOCIATED GLIDER CLUBS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAN DIEGO |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92115-5912 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | ASSOCIATED GLIDER CLUBS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | SAN DIEGO |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 92115-5912 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | L78 |
| Departure City | Jacumba |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1228 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | L78 |
| Destination City | Jacumba |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 11 2013 7:06PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 25 |
| Runway Length | 2508 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |