- Date
- May 2, 1992, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Benton, TN
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N17TMSchreder RS-15
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 9, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920502012989A
- Case key
- 8596
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's misjudged approach to the open field, which resulted in the forced landing on the obstacle lined road.
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
Another glider pilot, who was thermal soaring about 1/2 mile from the accident site, observed the glider approach a field at low level. It circled the field in a wide radius turn, then moved about a quarter mile away. It then began to circle in a tight radius turn. The observing pilot looked away for about 30 seconds, and when he looked at the glider again, it was in a steep turn. The glider aligned with a two lane road then swerved abruptly left into a line of trees. A ground witness said that the glider appeared to attempt a landing in the field. The pilot overran the field & a go-around was made because of obstacles. The landing was aborted by pulling up. The glider nearly stalled & turned to land on the road. The left wing hit a road sign, veered left, & struck a tree. Paint transfer marks were found on the road which correlated with scrapes on the underside of the glider's fuselage. Examination of the glider, after the accident, did not reveal any flight control malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N17TM
- Reported as
- Schreder RS-15
- Category
- Glider, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1
- Airframe hours
- 603
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Smalley, James W.
- Registered owner
- Smalley, James W.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · March 4, 1992
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
- 41
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 438 total · 130 in this make and model · 17 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CHA, 30 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.