NTSB CAROL · Event
Event WPR12CA278
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The glider’s encounter with insufficient atmospheric lift to maintain soaring flight, which resulted in an off-airport landing.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that after 1.5 hours of soaring he was en route back to the airport when he encountered significant sink (loss of lift) and was forced to land in a pasture 2.1 miles northeast of the approach end of the runway. The glider sustained damage to the right wing tip and empennage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that, after 1.5 hours of soaring, he was en route to the airport when he encountered significant sink (loss of lift) and was forced to land in a pasture about 2 miles from the approach end of the runway. The glider sustained damage to its right wing tip and empennage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- C Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Temp/humidity/pressure-Thermal lifting-Ability to respond/compensate - C
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2012_WPR12CA278.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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