FATALITY IN SO. CAL.

The Los Angeles Times of 09/14/09 reported a glider fatality out of
Elsinore, CA on Sunday 09/13/09. There were few details except the
name / age of the pilot, and the fact that he was on tow and crashed
"about 400 ft off the runway". Does anyone know the circumstances ?

No cheers, Charles.

On Sep 14, 7:12*pm, Vorsanger1 wrote:
The Los Angeles Times of 09/14/09 reported a glider fatality out of
Elsinore, CA on Sunday 09/13/09. There were few details except the
name / age of the pilot, and the fact that he was on tow and crashed
"about 400 ft off the runway". *Does anyone know the circumstances ?

No cheers, *Charles.

Anyone find any more info on this one? I thought I read somewhere it
was a SGS 2-33.

Thanks

On Sep 16, 10:49*am, tstock wrote:
On Sep 14, 7:12*pm, Vorsanger1 wrote:

The Los Angeles Times of 09/14/09 reported a glider fatality out of
Elsinore, CA on Sunday 09/13/09. There were few details except the
name / age of the pilot, and the fact that he was on tow and crashed
"about 400 ft off the runway". *Does anyone know the circumstances ?

No cheers, *Charles.

Anyone find any more info on this one? *I thought I read somewhere it
was a SGS 2-33.

Thanks

There is more info including pilot name and glider if you google
"elsinore glider crash".

Ramy

Yes, unfortunately we lost one of our own LESC club members.

It was quite a shock as Bill Kleese was a good experienced pilot.

He towed in the Calair and flew the gliders regularly.

Apparently the tow rope seperated(Broke or was released?) from the
1-34 and he made a turn to return or find a suitable landout.

The crash took place 400 yds from the end of the runway after
takeoff .

I looked at the glider and saw that the left wing was broke midspan
and bent towards the rear along with tip damage.

The right wing was broken just out a bit from the root and bent
forward, also with lots of tip damage.

The cockpit area was very crumpled and bent with even instruments
glass being smashed.

From the observations above it seems clear to me that a well banked
left turn was initiated but at some point in the turn
the left wing impacted the ground and yawed the glider into the ground
with the nose suffing a great deal of damage.

Perhaps he misjudged the height or did not have quite enough altitude
to complete the 180 turn back to the field.

It just does not quite make sense that such an experienced pilot could
misjudge that being so low or just not land in the brushy field
everywhere below in any direction.

I suspect there might have been other factors to this accident that we
may never fully discover.

Its very sad for the club and his loved loved ones.

He is in our thoughts and will be missed by all.

May he rest in peace.

Ray




On Sep 14, 4:12*pm, Vorsanger1 wrote:
The Los Angeles Times of 09/14/09 reported a glider fatality out of
Elsinore, CA on Sunday 09/13/09. There were few details except the
name / age of the pilot, and the fact that he was on tow and crashed
"about 400 ft off the runway". *Does anyone know the circumstances ?

No cheers, *Charles.

There is no need to speculate here as there were experienced eye
witnesses to the accident.

The take off was into a quartering headwind from the left. The weak
link broke at an estimated 150' and the pilot initiated a steeply
banked turn to the right. The glider completed approx. ninety degrees
of turn at which time the nose dropped steeply. The glider impacted at
a high rate, nose first at an estimated eighty degrees nose down
angle.

Bill was an active and very generous club member who will be missed.

Dan Fitzgerald

On Sep 17, 7:58*pm, "
wrote:
There is no need to speculate here as there were experienced eye
witnesses to the accident.

The take off was into a quartering headwind from the left. The weak
link broke at an estimated 150' and the pilot initiated a steeply
banked turn to the right. The glider completed approx. ninety degrees
of turn at which time the nose dropped steeply. The glider impacted at
a high rate, nose first at an estimated eighty degrees nose down
angle.

Bill was an active and very generous club member who will be missed.

Dan Fitzgerald

Thanks Dan for the clarification,

and now.......Unbelievablely More sad news......


I just read that the Challeger II Ultralight/LSA that went down in
Redlands, CA a few days ago

was another of our LESC members Woddy Fowler and his son in law Chad.
Both were found dead at the scene.

Apparently the witnesses heard the engine sputter and a bang before
the plane went vertical nose down into the ground.


Woody was also a very experienced LESC tow pilot and glider pilot,
great all around guy, he will be missed by everyone.

Ray