Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's encounter with an unfavorable wind and high sink rate conditions.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The glider landed short of the runway after encountering unfavorable wind conditions. According to the pilot and data retrieved from an on-board data recorder, heavy sink was experienced while the pilot maneuvered in the pattern to land, which reduced the glide ratio from 50:1 to 10:1. With inadequate altitude to compensate for the sink, the glider impacted a berm in the rough terrain several hundred feet short of the runway, whereupon it nosed over.
Source record
Factual narrative
On July 5, 2007, at 1617 Pacific daylight time, a Schempp-Hirth Ventus-2C, N11YD, made an off field landing and nosed over in Bridgeport, California. The glider was substantially damaged, and the private pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the personal flight, and no flight plan had been filed. The glider was operated by the pilot. The flight was performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and it originated from Truckee, California, about 1330. The pilot of a tow plane reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that the pilot was considered to be extremely experienced and was familiar with the area. The tow pilot released the accident glider over the Truckee Airport, about 1,600 feet above the ground. The pilot reported to the Safety Board investigator that while soaring an unfavorable wind was encountered. He attempted to land at the Bridgeport airport, but upon experiencing "heavy sink," the glider touched down in rough terrain a few hundred feet short of runway 34. The glider impacted a berm. The pilot reported that in still air his glider has a glide ratio of about 50:1. According to his data logger, on final approach during the accident flight his glide ratio had decreased to about 10:1.