SALEM, UT, USA
N19KH
Schleicher ASW-19
After losing all thermal lift, the pilot was unable to glide to the nearest airport, so he elected to land in an open field. After clearing 30-foot high transmission lines about 100 feet prior to the field, he descended into the field. The glider touched down between one-third and one-half way down the 1,500 foot long field. After the touchdown, the pilot was unable to stop the glider before it impacted a hay bale and a fence near the end of the field.
On July 5, 1996, approximately 1530 mountain daylight time, a Schleicher ASW-19 glider, N19KH, was substantially damaged when it collided with objects after overrunning the landing surface in an attempted off-airport landing near Salem, Utah. The commercial pilot of the single-seat glider received minor injuries. The 14 CFR 91 flight originated at Heber, Utah with an intended destination of Parowan, Utah. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot stated in a telephone report to the NTSB office at Seattle, Washington, that after losing thermal lift, he could not make it to Spanish Fork, the closest airport, and therefore decided to land in the 1500-foot-long field. He stated that there were no good wind direction indicators in the area (although he observed calm winds upon exiting the aircraft) and that his landing attempt was to the west. He stated that there were 30-foot-high power lines about 100 feet before the edge of the field. He said that on the approach to the field, he cleared the wires by 10 feet, and then flew a "good approach," landing 1/3 to 1/2 way down the field, but was then unable to stop in the available distance remaining even with full braking and spoilers. He attempted unsuccessfully to slow the glider by steering it through a row of cut hay. After rolling through the hay, the aircraft's wing struck a hay bale and the aircraft then went sideways through a barbed-wire fence at the end of the landing surface before coming to rest.
The pilot's failure to attain a proper touchdown point during an off-airport landing. Factors relating to the accident were: loss of thermal lift, high obstructions (transmission wires) near the edge of the field that the pilot chose to land, and a bale of hay and a fence at the far end of the field.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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