CALIFORNIA CITY, CA, USA
N71W
MAUPIN WOODSTOCK-I
DURING FLT, THE GLIDER SUSTAINED AN IN-FLT FAILURE OF BOTH WINGS, THEN ENTERED AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT & CRASHED. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO PREEXISTING STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS. THE GLIDER WAS EQUIPPED WITH A RECORDING BAROGRAPH. A BAROGRAPH TRACE SHOWED THAT THE GLIDER HAD BEEN AIRBORNE ABOUT 45 MIN & HAD STEP CLIMBED TO 16,500 FT. DURING THE LAST 5 MIN IT HAD DESCENDED 500 FT & CLIMBED 250 FT, THEN ENTERED A RAPID DESCENT (STRAIGHT LINE ON THE RECORDING) & CRASHED. OTHER GLIDER PLTS REPORTED THAT N71W WAS FLYING IN THE VICINITY OF LENTICULAR CLOUDS WITH BASES BETWEEN 14,000 & 18,000 FT. THEY REPORTED 'MILD WAVE CONDITIONS' WITH NO UNUSUALLY STRONG ROTOR. ONE PLT NOTED A PHENOMENON OF 'LENTICULAR JUMP', IN WHICH, THE CLOUD COULD GROW FASTER THAN A GLIDER COULD MOVE AWAY. N17W WAS NOT EQUIPPED FOR INSTRUMENT FLT & DID NOT HAVE AN OXYGEN SYS INSTALLED. THE PLT WAS DIABETIC, BUT A FLT SURGEON'S FINDINGS CONCERNING HIS MEDICAL CONDITION AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE INCONCLUSIVE.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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