Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On October 26, 2007, approximately 1340 mountain daylight time, a Schempp-Hirth Ventus B/16.6 glider, N36LB, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near Salida, Colorado. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant and registered owner of the glider, sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. The local flight departed the Harriet Alexander Field (ANK), Salida, Colorado, approximately 1314.

According to local authorities, the glider was towed by an airplane from ANK to an altitude of 11,800 feet mean sea level (msl) approximately 7 miles south of Salida. At 1327, the glider released from the tow airplane, and the tow airplane returned to ANK to tow another glider that was to join the accident glider. At 1339, when the tow airplane returned with the other glider, the tow airplane and other glider attempted to contact the accident glider via radio. The attempts to contact the accident glider were unsuccessful. The weather at the time of the accident was reported as sky clear and light winds.

At 2215, an Alert Notice was issued by the Prescott Flight Service Station, Prescott, Arizona, for the accident glider. On October 27th at 2100, the Civil Air Patrol located the glider wreckage in tree-covered mountainous terrain approximately 7 miles south of Salida.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, age 53, held a private pilot certificate with a glider rating. The pilot did not hold a current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued medical certificate. According to CFR Part 61.23 (b), Operations Not Requiring a Medical Certificate, a person is not required to hold a valid medical certificate if they are exercising the privileges of a pilot certificate with a glider category or balloon class rating.

A review of the pilot records provided by the pilot's insurance company revealed that as of June 2007, the pilot had accumulated 621.0 total glider flight hours, and 180.0 total hours in the accident glider. The pilot's most recent flight review was completed on September 30, 2006.

According to the insurance records, on June 23, 2007, the pilot was involved in an off-airport landing in the accident glider. The forced landing was performed because the pilot was "unable to locate sufficient lift to remain airborne." During the landing to a field, the left wing tip contacted vegetation and the glider ground-looped. The glider sustained minor damage, and the repairs were completed on June 30, 2007.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The Schempp-Hirth Ventus B/16.6, serial number 239, was a single-seat, high performance, flap-equipped, T-tail glider. The glider was registered to the pilot on February 7, 2003. A review of the most recent glider logbook revealed that a conditional inspection was conducted on March 24, 2007, at a total airframe time of 1,637.2 hours. The total airframe time