Houston crash today

This reminds me... Why does anyone think it's safe to spin a Puchcaz?

On Tuesday, July 15, 2014 2:09:21 AM UTC+1, wrote:
On Monday, July 14, 2014 5:10:15 PM UTC-7, Ramy wrote:

The other one the same day at Truckee was not a fatality thank god. Pilot is recovering well.



That was at least the third crash of a JS1-C this year, the first was a fatality in South Africa back in January. The report I saw was sketchy, but highly experienced pilot (glider and otherwise), high winds, and likely stall/spin. I don't know how many have been made, so far, but while it may be a higher than usual accident rate, it could just be sad coincidence.


Where was the third JS1-C accident this year Marc?

There wasn't a high wind at the time of the Bloemfontein JS1-C fatality. I was launched just before the glider involved and there was a moderate headwind. I recorded 9 knots on my SeeYou thermal trace at the same time and close to overhead the accident which occurred while on aerotow at low altitude.

John Galloway

Given the current unknowns about the two JS1c fatalities its a bit of a stretch to say that.

Beyond that rudder pedals slicing through cables

http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/br...01X72635&key=1

I can find no recommended action on the manufacturers website.

Kevin, your original comment referred to "a disturbing pattern
is beginning to form with the JS1c" which is the 21/18 version.
The accident that you now refer which was caused by a
severed rudder cable to was to the 18m-only JS1B.

I think that the original JS1 rudder pedal S tube design was
very poor indeed but you now report that you "can find no
recommended action on the manufacturers website". If you
had followed the link at the bottom of the report you referenced
to the fuller accident report you would find information at the
end about the TN modifications that were made to all JS1
rudder pedals.

http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief2.aspx?
ev_id=20120501X72635&ntsbno=CEN12LA265&akey=1

The relevant service bulletins and TNs regarding the rudder
pedal modifications are also in the technical support section of
the JS website but you presumably are not registered for access
to that.

All JS1s now flying will have been delivered (including all JS1-
Cs) or modified to the new rudder cable/S-tube design which I
can assure you I check routinely before flight on my glider and
can find no evidence of any cable damage at all. I can also say
for certain that the Blomfontein accident was not caused by a
severed rudder cable because Uys Jonker spoke to the
remaining pilots there (including myself) about his findings
immediately after he had inspected the wreckage the following
day.

As to whether the 2 fatal accidents this year involving the JS1-C
variant are connected in any other sort of pattern, you simply
cannot infer that yet. I would be more interested than most to
find out.

John Galloway



At 10:26 15 July 2014, Kevin Christner wrote:
Given the current unknowns about the two JS1c fatalities its
a bit of a
stretch to say that.

Beyond that rudder pedals slicing through cables

http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?
ev_id=20120501X72635&key=1

I can find no recommended action on the manufacturers
website.

On Sunday, July 13, 2014 11:01:46 PM UTC-4, wrote:
A JS-1C crashed today near Houston. Pilot died.

Where can one find any information on the Truckee crash? Nothing jumps out from a Google search.

Prescott Soaring Facebook page has three photos of the aftermath.

The Truckee crash was probably a combination of low approach combined with strong sink at the runway threshold which is above a 100 feet cliff. The stall was likely induced by the pilot in last moment attempt to pull up and clear the cliff, which most likely saved his life. It does not look like the glider itself was a factor in this crash.

Ramy

At 03:01 14 July 2014, wrote:
A JS-1C crashed today near Houston. Pilot died.

The report says Rokki Ford Roberts. Is this the guy I know as Shack
Roberts, who used to fly at Booker in UK?

Jim

At 07:43 15 July 2014, Jim White wrote:
At 03:01 14 July 2014, wrote:
A JS-1C crashed today near Houston. Pilot died.

The report says Rokki Ford Roberts. Is this the guy I know as Shac
Roberts, who used to fly at Booker in UK?

Jim



Doubt it Jim- apparently the pilot was 67 years old, based on the news
reports.

My speculation:
I would fly a JS1 again.
As will the pilot involved in the Truckee accident.
Jim