Foscoe, NC, USA
N94DK
Phoenix Air U15
According to the pilot of the motorized glider, he was flying at an altitude of 6,000 feet mean sea level (msl) en route to his home airport when he noted an episode of turbulence on the avionics logs for his flight path. He climbed to an altitude of 6,500 feet msl to avoid the turbulence and continued to his destination; however, the glider subsequently encountered severe turbulence that lasted for a few seconds. The pilot reported that during that time he heard a cracking noise in the rear of the glider, which he attributed to a loose quart of oil in the baggage compartment. He continued the flight and landed at his home airport uneventfully. While he was cleaning the glider after the flight, the pilot noted substantial damage to the empennage, which included a 12-inch crack to the composite structure under the right side of the vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation before the turbulence encounter; further, he stated that he noted no controllability problems with the glider after the turbulence encounter.
According to the pilot of the motorized glider, he was flying at an altitude of 6,000 feet en route to his home airport when he noted an episode of turbulence on the avionics logs for his flight path. He climbed to an altitude of 6,500 feet and continued to his destination; however, the glider subsequently encountered severe turbulence that lasted for a few seconds. The pilot heard a cracking noise and thought it was a quart of oil loose in the baggage compartment. He continued the flight and landed at his home airport uneventfully. While cleaning the glider after the flight, the pilot noted substantial damage to the empennage, which included a 12-inch crack to the composite structure under the right side of the vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation prior to the turbulence encounter and noted that the glider remained controllable as normal after the turbulence encounter.
The motorized glider’s encounter with clear air turbulence, which resulted in substantial damage to the empennage.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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