Wow - I didn't know that actually happened at Montague.
What year was that? Anyone on the ground hurt?

At 21:12 01 October 2003, Jj Sinclair wrote:
Scenario

LOCATION, Montague, Ca.

EVENT, SSA National Championships

SCENE, Finish line (50 foot min) 5:00 PM

ACTION, Two sailplanes approach the finish line that
is located on the closed
runway, that intersects the active runway. The edge
of the runway has 20
motorhomes and sailplane tie-downs for all 30 contestants.
The two finishing
sailplanes are now about 100 feet high and both doing
red-line. They approach
the finish line from slightly different directions,
with an angle to each other
of about 30 degrees. The pilots have both hands on
the stick and their full
attention is focused on the finish line.

You know where I'm going with this, but let me say,
It's not just the figment
of old JJ's imagination. We had a fatal accident that
happened just this way.
The two sailplanes were at altitude, but both pilots
had their full attention
focused on Bridgeport Turn Point. THEY NEVER SAW EACH
OTHER. One landed with 3
foot of his right wing tip missing. The other pilot
got a wing tip in the
cockpit.

Back to Montague, You know what happens, they hit at
50 feet, doing 145 knots.
Two pilots will get Tagged & Bagged, later that night,
but the incident isn't
over yet. What's the debris vector of the wreckage?
It's right into a line of
motorhomes with wives, children and innocent bystanders.

QUESTIONS
Does the FAA allow this?
Does the SSA allow this?
Should the SSA allow this?

JJ's SOLUTION,
Mandatory 500 foot/ 1 mile finish cylinder, with
graduated penalty.
JJ Sinclair