- Date
- April 22, 1988, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Chester, SC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 7, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19880422010132A19880422010131A
- Case key
- 7741
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
While thermaling during the sailplane competition, N45BD was slightly higher and to the left of N295SZ. N45BD made a right turn and struck the right inboard wing section of N294SZ with the outboard wing tip of N45BD. The outboard wing tip of N45BD separated and the pilot elected to parachute to safety. The pilot of N295SZ was able to land his sailplane safely.
While thermaling during the sailplane competition, N45BD was slightly higher and to the left of N295SZ. N45BD made a right turn and struck the right inboard wing section of N295SZ with the outboard wing tip of N45BD. The outboard wing tip of N45BD separated and the pilot elected to parachute to safety. The pilot of N295SZ was able to land his sailplane safely.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N45BD
- Reported as
- Rolladen-Schneider LS-4
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 4091
- Airframe hours
- 800
- Engine
- Unknown UNKNOWN, unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John F. Good
- Registered owner
- John F Good
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 26, 1988
- Departed
- 9A6 · Chester, SC
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
- Registration
- N295SZ
- Reported as
- Rolladen-Schneider LS-4
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 4566
- Airframe hours
- 357
- Engine
- Unknown UNKNOWN, unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Donald S. Wasness
- Registered owner
- Donald S Wasness
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 24, 1987
- Departed
- 9A6 · Chester, SC
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N45BD
- Age
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 547 total · 127 in this make and model · 494 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N295SZ
- Age
- 56
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 2,745 total · 49 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CLT
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.