Narrative:

The flight started at warner springs, ca. I took off for a cross country flight and flew north to big bear. On the way back south the soaring conditions deteriorated. I was trying to stay over higher ground which tends to provide better lift. By the time I had reached a location west of san jacinto mountain and east of hemet, I was too low to safely reach banning (bng) to the north or french valley (F70) to the southwest. I was within gliding distance of hemet-ryan (hmt). As I had failed to review the NOTAMS for that period prior to departure, I was unaware that hemet was temporarily closed to traffic due to an airshow. Otherwise, I would have selected a different course. Once I was in this area, my choices were very limited, with or without knowledge of the closure. Off-field lndgs carry a high risk of damage and injury. In addition I was over a densely populated area, visibility was limited to 6-8 NM due to haze. Hemet-ryan has 2 runways, runways 4/22 to the north, restr to glider operations, and runways 5/23 to the south for power traffic. As I approached the field from the east I became aware of the airshow. At this time I was only at about 1500 ft AGL. I briefly considered landing in one of the adjacent fields. However, being low did not give me much time for observation and selection. Since there were 2 runways available I decided it would still be safest to land at the airfield. I kept to the north of the airfield and set up a low right pattern for runway 22, all the while looking out for the power traffic above the main field. I do not think the situation was particularly unsafe as I never came close to any pwred aircraft. The decision by the event coordinators not to interrupt the show was ok as far as I am concerned. At the time of my landing there were 4 other aircraft flying, all of which kept clear of my low approach. I am aware that my failure to read the NOTAM makes my fully responsible for this incident, sailplane or not. As a result of this I will certainly make NOTAMS an essential part of all preflight planning. The chances for an incident like this to occur are very small. A possible way to minimize them further is by stressing the importance of NOTAMS not just during initial training, but also during subsequent flight reviews. In this particular case, an additional measure could be considered. Since hemet-ryan has significant sailplane operations, one can always expect sailplanes from nearby fields to land there. Aside from stressing the importance of NOTAMS, it would be prudent to notify adjacent airfields that have glider operations (strictly voluntary, NOTAMS should remain the main source of information). Operators of these fields could be encouraged by the event organizers to post signs and spread the word in the weeks leading to an event.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SAILPLANE LS3A PLT ADMITTED NOT CHKING NOTAMS BEFORE DEPARTING ON A XCOUNTRY AND HE LANDED AT A CLOSED FIELD, HMT.

Narrative: THE FLT STARTED AT WARNER SPRINGS, CA. I TOOK OFF FOR A XCOUNTRY FLT AND FLEW N TO BIG BEAR. ON THE WAY BACK S THE SOARING CONDITIONS DETERIORATED. I WAS TRYING TO STAY OVER HIGHER GND WHICH TENDS TO PROVIDE BETTER LIFT. BY THE TIME I HAD REACHED A LOCATION W OF SAN JACINTO MOUNTAIN AND E OF HEMET, I WAS TOO LOW TO SAFELY REACH BANNING (BNG) TO THE N OR FRENCH VALLEY (F70) TO THE SW. I WAS WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE OF HEMET-RYAN (HMT). AS I HAD FAILED TO REVIEW THE NOTAMS FOR THAT PERIOD PRIOR TO DEP, I WAS UNAWARE THAT HEMET WAS TEMPORARILY CLOSED TO TFC DUE TO AN AIRSHOW. OTHERWISE, I WOULD HAVE SELECTED A DIFFERENT COURSE. ONCE I WAS IN THIS AREA, MY CHOICES WERE VERY LIMITED, WITH OR WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OF THE CLOSURE. OFF-FIELD LNDGS CARRY A HIGH RISK OF DAMAGE AND INJURY. IN ADDITION I WAS OVER A DENSELY POPULATED AREA, VISIBILITY WAS LIMITED TO 6-8 NM DUE TO HAZE. HEMET-RYAN HAS 2 RWYS, RWYS 4/22 TO THE N, RESTR TO GLIDER OPS, AND RWYS 5/23 TO THE S FOR PWR TFC. AS I APCHED THE FIELD FROM THE E I BECAME AWARE OF THE AIRSHOW. AT THIS TIME I WAS ONLY AT ABOUT 1500 FT AGL. I BRIEFLY CONSIDERED LNDG IN ONE OF THE ADJACENT FIELDS. HOWEVER, BEING LOW DID NOT GIVE ME MUCH TIME FOR OBSERVATION AND SELECTION. SINCE THERE WERE 2 RWYS AVAILABLE I DECIDED IT WOULD STILL BE SAFEST TO LAND AT THE AIRFIELD. I KEPT TO THE N OF THE AIRFIELD AND SET UP A LOW R PATTERN FOR RWY 22, ALL THE WHILE LOOKING OUT FOR THE PWR TFC ABOVE THE MAIN FIELD. I DO NOT THINK THE SIT WAS PARTICULARLY UNSAFE AS I NEVER CAME CLOSE TO ANY PWRED ACFT. THE DECISION BY THE EVENT COORDINATORS NOT TO INTERRUPT THE SHOW WAS OK AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED. AT THE TIME OF MY LNDG THERE WERE 4 OTHER ACFT FLYING, ALL OF WHICH KEPT CLR OF MY LOW APCH. I AM AWARE THAT MY FAILURE TO READ THE NOTAM MAKES MY FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS INCIDENT, SAILPLANE OR NOT. AS A RESULT OF THIS I WILL CERTAINLY MAKE NOTAMS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ALL PREFLT PLANNING. THE CHANCES FOR AN INCIDENT LIKE THIS TO OCCUR ARE VERY SMALL. A POSSIBLE WAY TO MINIMIZE THEM FURTHER IS BY STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF NOTAMS NOT JUST DURING INITIAL TRAINING, BUT ALSO DURING SUBSEQUENT FLT REVIEWS. IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, AN ADDITIONAL MEASURE COULD BE CONSIDERED. SINCE HEMET-RYAN HAS SIGNIFICANT SAILPLANE OPS, ONE CAN ALWAYS EXPECT SAILPLANES FROM NEARBY FIELDS TO LAND THERE. ASIDE FROM STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF NOTAMS, IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO NOTIFY ADJACENT AIRFIELDS THAT HAVE GLIDER OPS (STRICTLY VOLUNTARY, NOTAMS SHOULD REMAIN THE MAIN SOURCE OF INFO). OPERATORS OF THESE FIELDS COULD BE ENCOURAGED BY THE EVENT ORGANIZERS TO POST SIGNS AND SPREAD THE WORD IN THE WEEKS LEADING TO AN EVENT.

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.