Accident summary

On May 21, afternoon, pilot landed on the mountain side near the arrowhead landmark.

Conditions

The winds along the ridge that afternoon were strong westerly.

Emergency response

Pilot landed in an inaccessible area of the San Bernardino National Forest and had to be airlifted out by San Bernardino County Sheriff’s helicopter.

Injuries

None

Damage

Damage to the glider caused by landing was minimal if any; however, the crash location is inaccessible and the glider cannot be retrieved.  Consequently, the glider is a loss.

Pilot involved

The pilot is a current member of both USHPA and CSS with the appropriate rating for launching from Crestline.

Root cause

The pilot encountered sink that was beyond the capability of his glider to fly out of.

Proximate cause

Pilot did not assess the weather conditions accurately and placed himself in an unrecoverable situation.

Corrective action

Pilot to work on his conditions assessment skills. An experienced CSS member has started working with pilot to help improve his weather assessment and turn around decision making.