No fatalities

21 Jul 2011: SCHLEICHER ASW-27 — BLACKBURN L ANDERSON — Preston, ID

Preston, ID, United States

On 21 Jul 2011, a SCHLEICHER ASW-27 operated by BLACKBURN L ANDERSON was involved in an aviation accident near Preston, ID. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The glider's impact with crops during the off-airport landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 7 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A glider pilot, unable to find lift, landed in a field. On rollout, wings struck crops, causing substantial damage to the empennage. No preimpact mechanical failures were reported.

Landing Attempt

A glider pilot reported that after being unable to locate thermals providing suitable lift for continued flight, a field was selected that the pilot assessed as adequate for a successful landing. After overflying the field at 1,000 feet above ground level, the pilot began the approach.

Touchdown and Rollout

The approach and touchdown were uneventful. During the landing roll, as the pilot deployed the speedbrakes and applied braking to the wheel, the glider pitched forward. Subsequently, the left and right wings contacted crops located on either side of the glider's landing roll path.

Yaw and Damage

The left wing engaged the crops more fully than the right wing, causing the glider to yaw to the left before coming to rest. As a result of the landing roll, the empennage was substantially damaged.

Mechanical Condition

The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe that would have precluded normal flight.

Contributing factors

Effect on operationEffect on equipment