MINDEN, NV, USA
N125DD
Schempp-Hirth DUO DISCUS
The pilot stated that on rollout from the off-field landing the right wing tip contacted the ground, and the glider turned sideways before coming to a stop. A fracture was found on the aft part of the fuselage which went completely around the structure.
On July 23, 1997, at 1700 hours Pacific daylight time, a Schempp-Hirth Flugzeugbaugh Duo Discus, N125DD, made an off field landing, contacted the ground with the right wing tip, and slid sideways before coming to a stop near Minden, Nevada. The glider, owned by DDG, INC., sustained substantial damage. The pilot and pilot rated passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the local personal flight and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from the Douglas County Airport, Minden, at 1300. In a telephone interview conducted on July 29, 1997, the pilot stated that on rollout from the off field landing the right wing tip contacted the ground and the glider turned sideways before coming to a stop. A fracture was found on the aft fuselage which went completely around the structure. In his written report dated August 4, 1997, the pilot said that the landing gear control handle came out of it's detent during the landing roll, causing the landing gear to retract.
The pilot's failure to ensure that the wings were maintained at a lateral level attitude during the initial landing rollout. A factor in the accident was the rough, uneven nature of the terrain chosen for the landing.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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