NTSB Factual Report

On January 25, 2008, approximately 1200 Pacific standard time, a Schweizer SGS 2-32 glider, N87R, was substantially damaged when it impacted a taxi sign and light during taxiing at Hollister Municipal Airport (CVH), Hollister, California. The flight instructor and her student were not injured. A private individual was operating the flight under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local, instructional flight that originated approximately 10 minutes before the accident. No flight plan had been filed.

The glider flight instructor was giving a lesson to a 12 hour student pilot. The weather conditions were deteriorating rapidly with cloud bases at 3,900 feet, and the wind was 110 degrees at 30 knots gusting to 37 knots. The tow departure was on runway 13; the flight instructor said they encountered some light rain during the tow. She said they stayed in the traffic pattern with left hand turns and the landing was uneventful. The student turned off the runway on to a high speed taxiway, but the glider began drifting to the left. The left wing impacted a runway sign and light. The left wing's leading edge was indented approximately 10 inches to the spar and the left inboard aileron was wrinkled and bent. The glider owner said that the flight instructor was delayed in taking control of the glider during taxi.

NTSB Probable Cause

The dual student's failure to maintain aircraft control while taxiing from the active runway and the delayed remedial action by the flight instructor. A contributing factor was the unfavorable high wind condition.