Fatal Glider Accident at Sampley's Airport, Arizona (N22DA)

Accident Overview and Personnel Information On May 3, 2014, at approximately 1210 mountain standard time, an experimental exhibition, racing, Aero Tex Inc., Zuni, N22DA, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain during initial climb out while being towed from Sampley's Airport (28AZ) in Aguila, Arizona. The glider was registered to and operated by the pilot under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight, which was originating at the time of the accident. The pilot, age 61, held a commercial pilot certificate with an airplane multi-engine land, airplane single-engine land, airplane single-engine sea, glider, and instrument airplane ratings. He was issued a third-class airman medical certificate on August 21, 2012, with the limitation to wear corrective lenses for near and distant vision. His most recent medical certificate application reported 867 total flight hours and 43 hours in the last 6 months. A review of his glider logbook revealed 83.7 flight hours since January 26, 2009, with 25.9 hours logged in the accident make/model glider. The pilot was retired from the Air National Guard. ## Aircraft and Meteorological Information The single-seat, high wing glider, serial number 2, was manufactured in 1976 and registered under the experimental classification – exhibition racing category. It was built with composite materials and could carry water ballast. No historical glider maintenance records were located during the investigation. Recorded data from the Buckeye Municipal Airport automated weather observation station, located about 39 miles southeast of the accident site, revealed at 1215 conditions were wind from 130 degrees at 6 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear sky, temperature 33 degrees Celsius, dew point -3 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 29.93 inches of mercury. ## Airport and Wreckage Information Sampley's Airport (28AZ) is an uncontrolled airport surrounded by class G airspace with a reported field elevation of 2,208 feet. The airport is equipped with a dirt runway, runway 17/35, 3,500 feet in length and 75 feet wide. The terrain within the immediate vicinity of the airport was composed of flat fields and brush. Examination of the accident site by the NTSB investigator in charge revealed that the glider impacted terrain about 310 feet east of runway 17 at an elevation of about 2,215 feet. The glider came to rest inverted, and all major structure components were located throughout the 30-foot debris path. Wreckage debris of mostly broken canopy pieces and the left wing was located within about 30 feet of the main wreckage. The first identified point of contact (FIPC) was a circular area of disturbed dirt measuring about 2 feet in diameter and about 8 inches deep. Within the disturbed dirt, portions of the canopy bow and windshield fragments were observed. Extending from each side of the FIPC was an area of disturbed dirt that were 180 degrees offset from each other and extended to about 25 feet in length and about 2-3 inches in width. The fuselage came to rest on a heading of about 340 degrees magnetic approximately 6 feet from the FIPC. The wings remained attached to the main fuselage, and both wings exhibited leading edge damage for about the outer half portion. The right aileron was detached but located in the debris field. The fuselage that connected the empennage was separated in three sections and remained attached to the main fuselage only by the flight control tubes. No evidence of water ballast was observed. The empennage was mostly intact, with the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and horizontal stabilizers remaining attached at all their respective attach points. The postaccident examination of the airframe revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. ## Medical, Pathological, and Technical Information The Maricopa County Office of Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy on the pilot on May 5, 2014, and determined that the cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries. The FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicology tests on the pilot, and cyanide, volatiles, and drugs were tested with negative findings. Examination of the tow airplane's tow line, line connection, and release mechanism by NTSB investigators revealed no anomalies. The glider's tow cable release control system was sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington, DC, for further examination. A Senior Materials Engineer revealed that no spring was observed in the cable release components that would cause the pawl to automatically engage the cable hook detent. A recess was observed that appeared to be a retaining hole for the spring, and deposits were observed to be uniformly in line inside the interior of the spring retaining hole but exhibited no evidence of contact with a spring. No evidence of contact with a spring was observed on the housing interior surfaces. Further examination of the recovered glider revealed no additional anomalies that would preclude normal operation. Several personal electronic devices were located in the wreckage and sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Division for examination and readout, but the devices did not contain any specific information relevant to the accident flight. ## Additional Information The FAA Glider Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-13) states that if an inadvertent release, towline break, or a signal to release from the towplane occurs at a point at which the glider has insufficient runway directly ahead and has insufficient altitude (200 feet above ground level AGL) to make a safe turn, the best course of action is to land the glider ahead. The handbook also discusses towing failures, noting that premature terminations of the tow have been a leading cause of glider accidents and incidents according to the Soaring Safety Foundation. Prevention is achieved with the proper use of checklists and proper prelaunch discipline. While the best course of action depends on many variables, such as runway length, airport environment, density altitude, and wind, all tow failures or emergency releases have one thing in common: the need to maintain control of the glider. Two possibilities are stalling the glider or dragging a wingtip on the ground during a low altitude turn.