Glider down near Reno - pilot OK

Apparently went down in high winds while attempting a cross country
wave record.

http://www.krnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4063969&nav=8faO

From Reno TV Station:

A glider pilot is in the hospital after he was forced to bail-out of
his plane before it broke apart in mid-air.

Sparks police say Eric Larsen took off in a motorized glider from Inyo
County, California sometime Tuesday morning.

Authorities believe he was forced to deploy his parachute and make a
crash landing due to high winds.

The glider crashed near the intersection of Satellite and Laser Drives.
The winds carried the pilot about two miles and he landed in the
Wingfield area. One part of glider's wings were found a mile north of
the crash site.

Larsen was taken by Careflight to Washoe Medical Center with major
injuries to his legs and lower back. He will be in the hospital for a
few days. His family is from San Diego and are on the way to Reno.

Preliminary

IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 26XL Make/Model: AS26 Description: ASH-26E A
GLIDER
Date: 11/02/2005 Time: 1740

Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Serious Mid Air: N
Missing: N
Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
City: SPARKS State: NV Country: US

DESCRIPTION
ACFT, A GLIDER, ON AN IFR WITH ZOA, WAS ATTEMPTING A WORLD DISTANCE
RECORD.
THE ACFT CRASHED IN SPARKS, NEVADA FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. RENO ATCT
SAW
ACFT DESCENDING AND A PARACHUTE DEPLOY. THE ACFT SUSTAINED
SUBSTANTIAL
DAMAGE AND THE ONE POB IS IN SERIOUS CONDITION. SPARKS, NV

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
# Crew: 1 Fat: 0 Ser: 1 Min: 0
Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0
Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0
Unk:

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED

OTHER DATA
Activity: Other Phase: Cruise Operation: General Aviation

Departed: UNKN Dep Date: Dep. Time:
Destination: UNKN Flt Plan: UNK Wx
Briefing: U
Last Radio Cont: 17332 392512N/1194442W
Last Clearance: UNKN

FAA FSDO: RENO, NV (WP11) Entry date:
11/03/2005

Any updates on Erik's condition would be appreciated. Thanks



"James D'Andrea" wrote in message
oups.com...
Apparently went down in high winds while attempting a cross country
wave record.

http://www.krnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4063969&nav=8faO

Erik is resting comfortably, no surgery req. with luck he can go home
in the next few days. He wins the award for being the luckiest guy on
earth (for yesterday). His family members are here, I'll be leaving
later today.

Kemp

Bill Batesole wrote:
Any updates on Erik's condition would be appreciated. Thanks

pirep?


"Kemp" wrote in message
oups.com...
Erik is resting comfortably, no surgery req. with luck he can go home
in the next few days. He wins the award for being the luckiest guy on
earth (for yesterday). His family members are here, I'll be leaving
later today.

Kemp

Bill Batesole wrote:
Any updates on Erik's condition would be appreciated. Thanks

Here's a snippet from a message that came from Stew Crane (SSA Gov, NV),
concerning the accident:

===
In the Mt Rose wave he found himself climbing very rapidly
again, over 1,000fpm and between lenticulars. What he did
not notice due to canopy icing at the back edges of his
canopy was that he was being blown back into cloud due to
the change in wind direction. He did turn on his artificial
horizon when he realized his predicament but, due to
instrument spin up time, it was not enough. He went full IFR
in an instant without a working horizon at altitude and
probably at or above true airspeed redline. Vertigo ensued
and in an instant he felt the wings snap off, no strong stick
forces, just a snap.
===

Marc

Marc Ramsey wrote:
Here's a snippet from a message that came from Stew Crane (SSA Gov, NV),
concerning the accident:

===
In the Mt Rose wave he found himself climbing very rapidly
again, over 1,000fpm and between lenticulars. What he did
not notice due to canopy icing at the back edges of his
canopy was that he was being blown back into cloud due to
the change in wind direction. He did turn on his artificial
horizon when he realized his predicament but, due to
instrument spin up time, it was not enough. He went full IFR
in an instant without a working horizon at altitude and
probably at or above true airspeed redline. Vertigo ensued
and in an instant he felt the wings snap off, no strong stick
forces, just a snap.
===

Marc

Marc Ramsey wrote:
Here's a snippet from a message that came from Stew Crane (SSA Gov, NV),
concerning the accident:

===
In the Mt Rose wave he found himself climbing very rapidly
again, over 1,000fpm and between lenticulars. What he did
not notice due to canopy icing at the back edges of his
canopy was that he was being blown back into cloud due to
the change in wind direction. He did turn on his artificial
horizon when he realized his predicament but, due to
instrument spin up time, it was not enough. He went full IFR
in an instant without a working horizon at altitude and
probably at or above true airspeed redline. Vertigo ensued
and in an instant he felt the wings snap off, no strong stick
forces, just a snap.
===

Marc



http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?e...04X01789&key=1

I remember reading a series of PASCO Westwind articles
which discussed wave flights. Sergio, Gordon, and
a few other authors. Over the course of the following
year or two, I talked to many pilots about these kinds
of record-breaking attempts.
And several of these pilots made dozens of such flights.

Landing under parachute in high winds, the tradeoff
of an always-on turn and bank vs. battery consumption,
the possibility of getting caught above/between/in
lenticulars, the joke about the glider really just
being a big oxygen bottle with wings, problems of flutter,
ballast freezing, penetration, drinking 'Ensure' for
24 hours before the flight to avoid pooping, exhaustive
planning, 6AM launches, etc....

...all made me think these pilots have more in common
with astronauts than garden-variety pilots like me...

I applaud the efforts of these pilots, who I consider
among the most sophisticated and daring pilots on the
planet.

I am also glad this particular pilot is (relatively)
unharmed and can tell this amazing tale. I will drink
an 'Ensure' today and raise my carton to you! In all
seriousness, cheers and many congratulations to the
pilot on making it through this extraordinary experience!


You are my heroes

Mark J. Boyd

At 17:06 05 November 2005, wrote:
Marc Ramsey wrote:
Here's a snippet from a message that came from Stew
Crane (SSA Gov, NV),
concerning the accident:

===
In the Mt Rose wave he found himself climbing very
rapidly
again, over 1,000fpm and between lenticulars. What
he did
not notice due to canopy icing at the back edges of
his
canopy was that he was being blown back into cloud
due to
the change in wind direction. He did turn on his artificial
horizon when he realized his predicament but, due
to
instrument spin up time, it was not enough. He went
full IFR
in an instant without a working horizon at altitude
and
probably at or above true airspeed redline. Vertigo
ensued
and in an instant he felt the wings snap off, no strong
stick
forces, just a snap.
===

Marc



http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?e...04X01789&key=1


Mark J. Boyd