What with it being mid-winter in the northern hemisphere, wouldn't it be
wonderful if the 2012 U.S. soaring-activity-year got off to a nice, safe
start? Especially with the SSA Convention coming up and in light of the
statistically dismal last two years...

Not gonna happen, folks. Per today's FAA preliminary accident/incident data,
we didn't make it through January without an injury-producing accident. (Sigh.)

Cut-n-paste follows...
- - - - - -
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 17873 Make/Model: SGS Description: SCHWEIZER 2-33A GLIDER
Date: 01/28/2012 Time: 1715

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

LOCATION
City: PEORIA State: AZ Country: US

DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT MADE A FORCED LANDING IN THE DESERT.

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


OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase: Landing Operation: OTHER
- - - - - -
End of cut-n-paste...

For any U.S. readers inclined to blow this crunch off as "would never happen
to me" (regardless of rationale), the February, 2012, issue of "Soaring" mag
has additional food for thought in Bob Thompson's (Most Excellent) article
entitled "Life Altering Decisions - Another View".

Bob W.