20200407003819A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Schempp-Hirth STANDARD CIRRUS · Clermont, FL · April 7, 2020

Date: April 7, 2020 · 14:00 local
Place: Clermont, FL
Airport: Seminole Lake Glider Port
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N271BL
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA20LA145
Reported as: Schempp-Hirth Standard Cirrus
Reported engine: NONE NONE
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 20 in this make and model

N271BLRegistered now · Schempp-Hirth STANDARD CIRRUSS/N 271 · Built 1972 Airframe modelSchempp-Hirth STANDARD CIRRUS Engine modelNONENone

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft departed runway 36 at 6FL0 with tow aircraft. At approximately 500 ft, shortly after takeoff, the glider unhooked from the tow rope. The glider flew for only a short time. The glider contacted the ground in the back yard of a house just off the NE departure end of runway 36.

In a statement, the tow pilot stated that they encountered some turbulence just before he realized that the glider was no longer in tow. The tow pilot lost sight of the glider at that point and did not see it again until it had made contact with the ground. A witness stated that glider looked like the pilot was trying to turn back south towards the runway and in the last moments of flight the glider was pointed down towards the ground.

The tow plane was not part of the accident. There was not an issue with the tow plane hook or tow rope.

The aircraft was destroyed.

The pilot's injuries were fatal.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 36 AT 6FL0 WITH TOW AIRCRAFT. AT APPROXIMATELY 500 FT, SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE GLIDER UNHOOKED FROM THE TOW ROPE. THE GLIDER FLEW FOR ONLY A SHORT TIME. THE GLIDER CONTACTED THE GROUND IN THE BACK YARD OF A HOUSE JUST OFF THE NE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 36.

IN A STATEMENT, THE TOW PILOT STATED THAT THEY ENCOUNTERED SOME TURBULENCE JUST BEFORE HE REALIZED THAT THE GLIDER WAS NO LONGER IN TOW. THE TOW PILOT LOST SIGHT OF THE GLIDER AT THAT POINT AND DID NOT SEE IT AGAIN UNTIL IT HAD MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. A WITNESS STATED THAT GLIDER LOOKED LIKE THE PILOT WAS TRYING TO TURN BACK SOUTH TOWARDS THE RUNWAY AND IN THE LAST MOMENTS OF FLIGHT THE GLIDER WAS POINTED DOWN TOWARDS THE GROUND.

THE TOW PLANE WAS NOT PART OF THE ACCIDENT. THERE WAS NOT AN ISSUE WITH THE TOW PLANE HOOK OR TOW ROPE.

THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.

THE PILOT'S INJURIES WERE FATAL.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA20LA145Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportGroveland, FLThe pilot’s exceedance of the glider’s critical angle of attack following his premature termination of the tow for reasons that could not be determined, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin during a turn back to the departure airport.Apr 7, 2020 · Substantial damage