Hood River Airport/Ken Jernstedt Airfield: Hood River, Oregon

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The pilot reported that the control stick unexpectedly began buffeting while the airplane was cruising at 3,500 feet mean sea level and 120 miles per hour, and he noticed that the left aileron was becoming detached at its outboard hinge. The pilot immediately flew toward a nearby airfield and conducted an emergency landing. The pilot said he observed that another airplane had previously landed in the opposite direction on the same runway, so to ensure adequate clearance from that airplane he landed on the right side of the runway. The pilot additionally reported that he "flew" his airplane onto the runway and landed with a tailwind at a faster than normal airspeed. During rollout, the airplane veered off the side of the runway, encountered an area of soft dirt, and nosed over. The pilot further reported that he observed that the outboard of three aileron hinges was separated from the wing. The pilot opined that the location of the hinges on the aileron
may not have been adequate to support the aileron during flight. Updated at Sep 10 2009 5:35PM
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The glider pilot reported that he was towed from the airport to a ridgeline approximately 5 miles east of the airport. After being aloft for approximately one hour, the glider was blown to the downwind side of the ridge. The pilot reported, "...the wind blew the glider to the downwind side of the ridge." The pilot attempted to fly back to the area of lift, but was unsuccessful and elected to land in an open field on the ridge. During the landing rollout, the glider struck small trees resulting in substantial damage.
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The pilot, with his two passengers, were returning to Hood River, Oregon, on a dark, low overcast night. Radar data indicates that the airplane flew up the Columbia River, which has mountainous terrain on both sides, and was last recorded at 2,500 feet near North Bonneville, Washington. Family members reported the airplane overdue; no ELT signal was ever received. Search and rescue personnel located the airplane the following day on a ridge approximately 5 nautical miles from the intended destination. There were no survivors. No pre impact engine or airframe anomalies, which might have affected the airplane’s performance, were identified.