ASH 26 E stalls at 76 m on an outlanding after an undetermined loss of control
The pilot of an ASH 26 E was fatally injured when the glider stalled and struck a field near Wellington almost vertically at the end of a short local flight. Nineteen minutes after self-launching he had climbed to about 2,380 m MSL, then descended steadily and was manoeuvring about 76 m above the ground, flaps set for landing, when he lost control. The reason could not be determined.
- Self-launch and climb: The pilot self-launched from Owl Canyon Gliderport and climbed through several turns to about 2,380 m MSL over the next ten minutes.
- Steady descent toward a field: The glider left the climb and descended steadily on a northwest track, turned through 180° and flew about 3 km southwest before turning back west.
- Control lost at about 76 m: With the flaps set for landing and the airbrakes retracted, the glider was about 76 m above the ground at 111 km/h when the pilot lost control of it.
- Stall below recovery height: The glider stalled. The manufacturer put the minimum height loss in a recovery at 30 to 60 m, and said a near-vertical nose-down attitude was possible if the pilot did not correct quickly.
- Near-vertical impact: The glider struck a flat agricultural field at about 77° nose-down, some 270 m beyond its last recorded position. The pilot was fatally injured.