- Date
- October 22, 1988, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Whitwell, TN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N321SBSchempp-Hirth DISCUS-B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 3, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881022058329A
- Case key
- 7942
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
The plt rprtd that thermal lift deteriorated drg the return leg of a x-country flt & he elected to make an off aprt lndg in a hay field. As he was on final apch on a westerly hdg, he saw a previously undetected power line across the field, which reqd a rapid dscnt (using spoilers) to avoid a collision. However, drg the evasive maneuver, the glider contacted uneven terrain & was subsequently damaged. The plt rprtd that the sun & trees obscured the power line. Also, he stated that if the apch had been to the east, he would have seen the power line in time to make smoother adjustments for the short landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N321SB
- Reported as
- Schempp-Hirth DISCUS-B
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 123
- Airframe hours
- 195
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Steven L. Bair
- Registered owner
- Steven L. Bair
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 6, 1987 · 75 hours before
- Departed
- GAD · Gadsden, AL
- Destination
- GAD · Gadsden, AL
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 450 total · 75 in this make and model · 400 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 8 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.