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Commercial pilot returns to land glider at departure airport even though the airport was closed for an airshow due to running out of soaring lift on an attempted cross-country flight.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 276939 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199407 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dkb |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : mlu |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 65 flight time total : 1425 flight time type : 45 |
| ASRS Report | 276939 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | observation : observer |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | faa : investigated Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Pilot was on a training/proficiency soaring flight from hinckley airport to sky soaring airport and return, a distance of 59.6 nautical mi. Pilot had proceeded about 15 mi from his departure when he encountered poorer soaring conditions than forecasted. Abandoning his task he attempted to return to hinckley airport. But encountered continued sink making it impossible to reach hinckley from the altitude he was at. His course line was 5 mi east of de kalb airport where he knew the airport was closed due to an airshow taking place. Finding an area of zero sink northeast of the airport the pilot was able to maintain an altitude of 1700 ft MSL for close to 15 mins while attempting to determine if there was better lift in the area in order to gain enough altitude to make it back to hinckley. None was found and additional altitude was lost forcing a landing decision. Because the farm crops were of sufficient ht to make an off-airport landing extremely hazardous it was decided to land at de kalb airport. Pilot landed to the west on the grass south of the airport's e- west hard surface runway. Touchdown, rollout and stop consumed less than 200 ft. He had the higher airshow traffic in sight and was not in conflict with that traffic as he was very low and able to maintain a shallow glide angle. Pilot and glider were aeronautical-retrieved from the airport after the airshow concluded.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: COMMERCIAL PLT RETURNS TO LAND GLIDER AT DEP ARPT EVEN THOUGH THE ARPT WAS CLOSED FOR AN AIRSHOW DUE TO RUNNING OUT OF SOARING LIFT ON AN ATTEMPTED CROSS-COUNTRY FLT.
Narrative: PLT WAS ON A TRAINING/PROFICIENCY SOARING FLT FROM HINCKLEY ARPT TO SKY SOARING ARPT AND RETURN, A DISTANCE OF 59.6 NAUTICAL MI. PLT HAD PROCEEDED ABOUT 15 MI FROM HIS DEP WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED POORER SOARING CONDITIONS THAN FORECASTED. ABANDONING HIS TASK HE ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO HINCKLEY ARPT. BUT ENCOUNTERED CONTINUED SINK MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO REACH HINCKLEY FROM THE ALT HE WAS AT. HIS COURSE LINE WAS 5 MI E OF DE KALB ARPT WHERE HE KNEW THE ARPT WAS CLOSED DUE TO AN AIRSHOW TAKING PLACE. FINDING AN AREA OF ZERO SINK NE OF THE ARPT THE PLT WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN AN ALT OF 1700 FT MSL FOR CLOSE TO 15 MINS WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS BETTER LIFT IN THE AREA IN ORDER TO GAIN ENOUGH ALT TO MAKE IT BACK TO HINCKLEY. NONE WAS FOUND AND ADDITIONAL ALT WAS LOST FORCING A LNDG DECISION. BECAUSE THE FARM CROPS WERE OF SUFFICIENT HT TO MAKE AN OFF-ARPT LNDG EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS IT WAS DECIDED TO LAND AT DE KALB ARPT. PLT LANDED TO THE W ON THE GRASS S OF THE ARPT'S E- W HARD SURFACE RWY. TOUCHDOWN, ROLLOUT AND STOP CONSUMED LESS THAN 200 FT. HE HAD THE HIGHER AIRSHOW TFC IN SIGHT AND WAS NOT IN CONFLICT WITH THAT TFC AS HE WAS VERY LOW AND ABLE TO MAINTAIN A SHALLOW GLIDE ANGLE. PLT AND GLIDER WERE AERO-RETRIEVED FROM THE ARPT AFTER THE AIRSHOW CONCLUDED.
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.