Primary finding
Probable cause
the student pilot's misjudgment of the aircraft's altitude and subsequent maneuver to avoid an obstacle, that resulted in a loss of airspeed, an inadvertent stall, and an inflight loss of control, which resulted in damage to the aircraft during landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The student pilot stated that he was performing steep turns to dissipate altitude and land, but ended up being low, with wires impeding his path of flight. The student further stated that as he maneuvered to avoid the wires, the glider lost lift, and fell towards the ground. The student said he then lowered the nose to avoid landing empennage first, but during the landing the glider was damaged. An FAA inspector examined the accident aircraft, and stated that during the landing the left wing hit a tree and the spar was damaged.
Source record
Factual narrative
On May 6, 2000, about 1430 eastern daylight time, a Schweizer SGS 2-33, N5738S, registered to and operated by the North Florida Soaring Society, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, crashed on landing at Herlong Airport, Jacksonville, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The glider incurred substantial damage, and the student pilot was not injured. The flight originated the same day, about 1400. The student pilot said that he was maneuvering the glider over the airport, performing steep turns to dissipate his altitude in order to land. He further stated that he had lost too much altitude, and ended up being too low with wires obstructing his path of flight, and as he maneuvered to avoid the wires, the glider lost lift, and fell towards the ground. He said that he then kept the glider's nose down until he got closer to the ground to prevent a tail wheel landing, but he landed in a slight right turn and the aircraft was damaged. An FAA inspector who examined the accident aircraft stated that during the landing, the left wing hit a tree and the spar was damaged.