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Glider pilot misjudged spoiler deployment and landed short with damage to aircraft when it hit fence.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 333367 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199604 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : 0l7 |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 3 flight time total : 489 flight time type : 53 |
| ASRS Report | 333367 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : insufficient time |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On apr/xx/96 at XA02, I received an aerotow departing runway 2 at jean airport (0l7), nv, in a glider (blanik L-13) -- a 2 place glider with passenger in rear seat. I released from towplane at 2000 ft AGL, releasing in a weak thermal and circling several times just to northeast of jean airport, gaining only 500-600 ft of altitude. I departed that thermal to the east toward a ridge that runs to the east of jean airport. Not finding any more lift I headed for the ip to enter a downwind for runway 2R. Downwind was entered on a 45 degree after radioing my intentions to 122.9 (jean traffic). Downwind entered at 800 ft AGL. All controls checked -- landing gear down and locked, flaps retracted, spoilers checked and locked, traffic checked and area cleared. Windsock appeared to still be 10-15 KTS northeast approximately 060 degrees. Downwind leg flown at 55 KTS. Base leg turned at 500-600 ft AGL. It appeared I had plenty of altitude so I deployed spoilers. I began to encounter tremendous sink so got the spoilers off. However, sink continued and instead of trying to 'stretch the glide' and possibly stall I maintained speed so as not to stall and landed straight ahead approximately 20-30 ft short of runway 2R overrun. I would have been fine had there not have been a fence at the end of runway. The left wing hit an old wooden fence post about 6-8 inches from top of post and damaged left wingtip as it turned the glider to the left 160 degrees as the glider went through barbed wire fence. The glider came to rest at the end of the dirt overrun. Time of 'rough landing' was XB17. There was damage to the glider but no injury to myself or my passenger. Photographs were taken and then glider was towed back to its tiedowns on landing gear which worked ok. Could have turned base leg sooner. Possible spoilers were not locked. With no engine should plan landing further down runway, not at the end where other gliders were staging. Inaction was not closing spoilers. Current 90 day time in aircraft was minimal.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: GLIDER PLT MISJUDGED SPOILER DEPLOYMENT AND LANDED SHORT WITH DAMAGE TO ACFT WHEN IT HIT FENCE.
Narrative: ON APR/XX/96 AT XA02, I RECEIVED AN AEROTOW DEPARTING RWY 2 AT JEAN ARPT (0L7), NV, IN A GLIDER (BLANIK L-13) -- A 2 PLACE GLIDER WITH PAX IN REAR SEAT. I RELEASED FROM TOWPLANE AT 2000 FT AGL, RELEASING IN A WEAK THERMAL AND CIRCLING SEVERAL TIMES JUST TO NE OF JEAN ARPT, GAINING ONLY 500-600 FT OF ALT. I DEPARTED THAT THERMAL TO THE E TOWARD A RIDGE THAT RUNS TO THE E OF JEAN ARPT. NOT FINDING ANY MORE LIFT I HEADED FOR THE IP TO ENTER A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 2R. DOWNWIND WAS ENTERED ON A 45 DEG AFTER RADIOING MY INTENTIONS TO 122.9 (JEAN TFC). DOWNWIND ENTERED AT 800 FT AGL. ALL CTLS CHKED -- LNDG GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED, FLAPS RETRACTED, SPOILERS CHKED AND LOCKED, TFC CHKED AND AREA CLRED. WINDSOCK APPEARED TO STILL BE 10-15 KTS NE APPROX 060 DEGS. DOWNWIND LEG FLOWN AT 55 KTS. BASE LEG TURNED AT 500-600 FT AGL. IT APPEARED I HAD PLENTY OF ALT SO I DEPLOYED SPOILERS. I BEGAN TO ENCOUNTER TREMENDOUS SINK SO GOT THE SPOILERS OFF. HOWEVER, SINK CONTINUED AND INSTEAD OF TRYING TO 'STRETCH THE GLIDE' AND POSSIBLY STALL I MAINTAINED SPD SO AS NOT TO STALL AND LANDED STRAIGHT AHEAD APPROX 20-30 FT SHORT OF RWY 2R OVERRUN. I WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE HAD THERE NOT HAVE BEEN A FENCE AT THE END OF RWY. THE L WING HIT AN OLD WOODEN FENCE POST ABOUT 6-8 INCHES FROM TOP OF POST AND DAMAGED L WINGTIP AS IT TURNED THE GLIDER TO THE L 160 DEGS AS THE GLIDER WENT THROUGH BARBED WIRE FENCE. THE GLIDER CAME TO REST AT THE END OF THE DIRT OVERRUN. TIME OF 'ROUGH LNDG' WAS XB17. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE GLIDER BUT NO INJURY TO MYSELF OR MY PAX. PHOTOGRAPHS WERE TAKEN AND THEN GLIDER WAS TOWED BACK TO ITS TIEDOWNS ON LNDG GEAR WHICH WORKED OK. COULD HAVE TURNED BASE LEG SOONER. POSSIBLE SPOILERS WERE NOT LOCKED. WITH NO ENG SHOULD PLAN LNDG FURTHER DOWN RWY, NOT AT THE END WHERE OTHER GLIDERS WERE STAGING. INACTION WAS NOT CLOSING SPOILERS. CURRENT 90 DAY TIME IN ACFT WAS MINIMAL.
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.