FISHER HP-14 SAILPLANE
Nampa, ID — April 6, 2012
Event Information
| Date | April 6, 2012 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | WPR12CA157 |
| Event ID | 20120408X32851 |
| Location | Nampa, ID |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 43.58139, -116.52306 |
| Airport | Nampa Municipal |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | FISHER |
| Model | HP-14 SAILPLANE |
| Category | GLI |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 1 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The pilot’s incorrect positioning of the wing flaps during the landing approach, which resulted in a loss of lift and hard landing.
Full Narrative
The pilot reported that after soaring for nearly 3 hours, he returned to the departure airport and made a traffic pattern approach for landing. On final approach, he lowered the wing flaps to 40 degrees. The pilot additionally reported that, because it appeared he was going to be too high, he further extended the wing flaps. Suddenly, the glider’s sink rate increased, and the glider touched down hard short of the runway. The glider bounced, yawed sideways, the landing gear collapsed, and the fuselage buckled as the glider slid to a stop. The pilot stated that he subsequently observed that the flaps were set to 90 degrees, which was 30 degrees farther down than he had intended.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.