IN A PWRED GLIDER DURING AN FAA CHK FLT; RPTR PLT LOST CTL OF ACFT WHEN LNDG. CONVENTIONAL GEAR WAS NEW TO THE PLT AND THAT PLUS WIND GUST RESULTED IN A GNDLOOP AND DAMAGE TO ACFT.
Synopsis
IN A PWRED GLIDER DURING AN FAA CHK FLT; RPTR PLT LOST CTL OF ACFT WHEN LNDG. CONVENTIONAL GEAR WAS NEW TO THE PLT AND THAT PLUS WIND GUST RESULTED IN A GNDLOOP AND DAMAGE TO ACFT.
Narrative
BEFORE THE FLT I OBTAINED A PIREP FROM 2 CREW MEMBERS OF A PREVIOUS GLIDER FLT. THEY BOTH INDICATED THAT THE SUSTAINED WIND AND WIND GUSTS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN RPTED BY THE ATIS; AND STATED FURTHER THAT THEY RECOMMENDED FLT IN A GLIDER. I THEN WENT ON MY PVT PLT GLIDER CHK RIDE IN THE SAME G109B MOTORGLIDER WITH ONE OF THE CREW MEMBERS; AN FAA DESIGNATED EXAMINER. AS I BEGAN THE LNDG FLARE; A STRONG GUST OF WIND HIT THE GLIDER FROM THE L; CAUSING IT TO YAW IN THAT DIRECTION AND HEAD FOR THE SIDE OF THE RWY. THE OTHER CREW MEMBER AND MYSELF PRESSED HARD R RUDDER SIMULTANEOUSLY IN AN ATTEMPT TO STOP IT FROM VEERING OFF THE SIDE. HOWEVER; THE AIRSPD WAS TOO SLOW TO ALLOW THE RUDDER INPUTS TO EFFECTIVELY STOP THE MOMENTUM. THE GLIDER STARTED SLOWLY TURNING BACK TOWARD THE RWY CTRLINE BUT NOT IN TIME TO AVOID HITTING THE RWY LIGHT AND TXWY SIGN. THEY IMPACTED THE L WING AS THE ACFT GNDLOOPED. IT CAME TO A STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE RWY; FACING ACROSS IT. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR INCLUDED MY LACK OF FLT TIME IN CONVENTIONAL GEAR ACFT (21 HRS AT THE TIME).
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.