What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On test flight, glider started to spin, no controls, inverted, pilot bailed out, crashed short of airport. (-23) on may 18, 1996, at 1500 CST, an as+ ltd AC-4, russian built glider, N29HS, operated by scott l. dizack, was performing the first flight of a FAA flight test program requirement per operating limitations, dated may 17, 1996, in the vicinity of the Hartford, Wisconsin airport (hxf). The aircraft was released from the tow aircraft at 4,000 feet AGL and initiated its planned maneuvers. As part of the maneuvers the glider entered into a spiral configuration (spin) when the pilot experienced a nose down pitch attitude of approximately 10 to 15 degrees with an immediate increase of airspeed to approximately 125 KIAS. The pilot stated that he observed the wings to be oscillating up and down and the aircraft unresponsive to any pitch up input with full back pressure on the stick. At approximately 1500 feet AGL the aircraft rolled into an inverted position; the pilot bailed out, deployed the parachute and landed in the immediate area of the airport having sustained a dislocated right shoulder and several fractured vertebrae of the lower back as a result of this accident. The glider came to rest upside down in a field approximately 250 years south of the Hartford, WI (hxf) airport and was substantially damaged.
As the FAA filed it
ON TEST FLIGHT, GLIDER STARTED TO SPIN, NO CONTROLS, INVERTED, PILOT BAILED OUT, CRASHED SHORT OF AIRPORT. (-23) ON MAY 18, 1996, AT 1500 CST, AN AS+ LTD AC-4, RUSSIAN BUILT GLIDER, N29HS, OPERATED BY SCOTT L. DIZACK, WAS PERFORMING THE FIRST FLIGHT OF A FAA FLIGHT TEST PROGRAM REQUIREMENT PER OPERATING LIMITATIONS, DATED MAY 17, 1996, IN THE VICINITY OF THE HARTFORD, WISCONSIN AIRPORT (HXF). THE AIRCRAFT WAS RELEASED FROM THE TOW AIRCRAFT AT 4,000 FEET AGL AND INITIATED ITS PLANNED MANEUVERS. AS PART OF THE MANEUVERS THE GLIDER ENTERED INTO A SPIRAL CONFIGURATION (SPIN) WHEN THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A NOSE DOWN PITCH ATTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 15 DEGREES WITH AN IMMEDIATE INCREASE OF AIRSPEED TO APPROXIMATELY 125 KIAS. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE OBSERVED THE WINGS TO BE OSCILLATING UP AND DOWN AND THE AIRCRAFT UNRESPONSIVE TO ANY PITCH UP INPUT WITH FULL BACK PRESSURE ON THE STICK. AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 FEET AGL THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED INTO AN INVERTED POSITION; THE PILOT BAILED OUT, DEPLOYED THE PARACHUTE AND LANDED IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA OF THE AIRPORT HAVING SUSTAINED A DISLOCATED RIGHT SHOULDER AND SEVERAL FRACTURED VERTEBRAE OF THE LOWER BACK AS A RESULT OF THIS ACCIDENT. THE GLIDER CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN IN A FIELD APPROXIMATELY 250 YEARS SOUTH OF THE HARTFORD, WI (HXF) AIRPORT AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.