Narrative:

Low time hang glider pilot was soaring during pre-frontal conditions. Ceiling varied between 5000-7000 ft, and visibility 3-7 mi with an occasional squall around vehicle but no closer than 1 mi. Pilot was enjoying widespread lift to soar. (His fourth soaring flight.) convective activity increased and pilot was slow to respond. By the time the pilot recognized increased activity he was caught in updrafts from the beginning of a thunderstorm cell. Pilot attempted to penetrate out from cell while caught in updrafts of 1000 FPM up and possibly higher. (Vertical speed indicator is limited to 1000 FPM up.) pilot experienced rain, hail, freezing rain, ice and snow while being sucked into the cloud. Glider attempted to penetrate out of the updrafts, but was hampered by severe turbulence and headwinds. Glider was pulled into the edge of the cloud for undetermined amount of time -- between 30 seconds and 3 mins, and was able to penetrate out of bottom of cloud finally. Landing was uneventful in a 30 KT headwind. Storm developed fully and pilot was very lucky to escape. Pilot is now a CFI and has written a story for the united states hang gliding magazine to educate other low time pilots of the hazards of low experience and strong conditions. However, he wishes to protect his ratings for aircraft since there were far 103 violations during the flight. All violations were as a result of the pilot exceeding his skill level, and being caught in conditions which were beyond his abilities. The main problems were the pilot not paying attention to developing conditions, but when the conditions were recognized he initiated actions correctly. But he was still very lucky to have escaped. There was -- surprisingly -- no structural damage to the glider as found by a complete teardown and inspection of the glider later.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A HANG GLIDER WAS CAUGHT IN A TSTM AND TAKEN UP INTO THE CLOUDS RESULTING IN 1 VERY FRIGHTENED PLT WHO ESCAPED UNHURT WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE ULTRALIGHT ACFT.

Narrative: LOW TIME HANG GLIDER PLT WAS SOARING DURING PRE-FRONTAL CONDITIONS. CEILING VARIED BETWEEN 5000-7000 FT, AND VISIBILITY 3-7 MI WITH AN OCCASIONAL SQUALL AROUND VEHICLE BUT NO CLOSER THAN 1 MI. PLT WAS ENJOYING WIDESPREAD LIFT TO SOAR. (HIS FOURTH SOARING FLT.) CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY INCREASED AND PLT WAS SLOW TO RESPOND. BY THE TIME THE PLT RECOGNIZED INCREASED ACTIVITY HE WAS CAUGHT IN UPDRAFTS FROM THE BEGINNING OF A TSTM CELL. PLT ATTEMPTED TO PENETRATE OUT FROM CELL WHILE CAUGHT IN UPDRAFTS OF 1000 FPM UP AND POSSIBLY HIGHER. (VERTICAL SPD INDICATOR IS LIMITED TO 1000 FPM UP.) PLT EXPERIENCED RAIN, HAIL, FREEZING RAIN, ICE AND SNOW WHILE BEING SUCKED INTO THE CLOUD. GLIDER ATTEMPTED TO PENETRATE OUT OF THE UPDRAFTS, BUT WAS HAMPERED BY SEVERE TURB AND HEADWINDS. GLIDER WAS PULLED INTO THE EDGE OF THE CLOUD FOR UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF TIME -- BTWN 30 SECONDS AND 3 MINS, AND WAS ABLE TO PENETRATE OUT OF BOTTOM OF CLOUD FINALLY. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL IN A 30 KT HEADWIND. STORM DEVELOPED FULLY AND PLT WAS VERY LUCKY TO ESCAPE. PLT IS NOW A CFI AND HAS WRITTEN A STORY FOR THE UNITED STATES HANG GLIDING MAGAZINE TO EDUCATE OTHER LOW TIME PLTS OF THE HAZARDS OF LOW EXPERIENCE AND STRONG CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, HE WISHES TO PROTECT HIS RATINGS FOR ACFT SINCE THERE WERE FAR 103 VIOLATIONS DURING THE FLT. ALL VIOLATIONS WERE AS A RESULT OF THE PLT EXCEEDING HIS SKILL LEVEL, AND BEING CAUGHT IN CONDITIONS WHICH WERE BEYOND HIS ABILITIES. THE MAIN PROBLEMS WERE THE PLT NOT PAYING ATTN TO DEVELOPING CONDITIONS, BUT WHEN THE CONDITIONS WERE RECOGNIZED HE INITIATED ACTIONS CORRECTLY. BUT HE WAS STILL VERY LUCKY TO HAVE ESCAPED. THERE WAS -- SURPRISINGLY -- NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE GLIDER AS FOUND BY A COMPLETE TEARDOWN AND INSPECTION OF THE GLIDER LATER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.