What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
privacy data omitted Was in the traffic pattern for runway 18 at Highland-Winet Airport. The airman stated that he turned final approach at 55 mph and his approach looked normal. His aimpoint was midfield. The final approach path was over a field of mature corn. As he approached the runway, he realized that his descent rate was higher than anticipated and he judged that he might touch the last row of corn. The glider contacted the tops of the corn at approximately 40 to 50 feet from the threshold of the runway. Upon contact with the corn the glider slowed considerably and dropped approximately 6 to 8 feet impacting the ground. After contact with the corn, subsequent forward travel was approximately 10 feet. The airman was seriously injured and was airlifted to a st. louis hospital.
As the FAA filed it
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 18 AT HIGHLAND-WINET AIRPORT. THE AIRMAN STATED THAT HE TURNED FINAL APPROACH AT 55 MPH AND HIS APPROACH LOOKED NORMAL. HIS AIMPOINT WAS MIDFIELD. THE FINAL APPROACH PATH WAS OVER A FIELD OF MATURE CORN. AS HE APPROACHED THE RUNWAY, HE REALIZED THAT HIS DESCENT RATE WAS HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED AND HE JUDGED THAT HE MIGHT TOUCH THE LAST ROW OF CORN. THE GLIDER CONTACTED THE TOPS OF THE CORN AT APPROXIMATELY 40 TO 50 FEET FROM THE THRESHOLD OF THE RUNWAY. UPON CONTACT WITH THE CORN THE GLIDER SLOWED CONSIDERABLY AND DROPPED APPROXIMATELY 6 TO 8 FEET IMPACTING THE GROUND. AFTER CONTACT WITH THE CORN, SUBSEQUENT FORWARD TRAVEL WAS APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET. THE AIRMAN WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND WAS AIRLIFTED TO A ST. LOUIS HOSPITAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N424BG · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.