- Date
- June 10, 1992, 15:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Arabi, GA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N433TTGlaser-Dirks DG 300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920610021489A
- Case key
- 8614
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 inadequate visual lookout when he failed to see and avoid obstacles. Factors were the loss of thermal lift and the pilot's diverted attention.
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
During a glider contest, thermal lift dissipated. The pilot descended attempting to locate additional thermals, unsuccessfully. A large peanut field was selected as a possible landing site. It was overflown at about 1500 feet for evaluation. Power lines along the field were not observed. A long straight in approach was established. The pilot stated that he focused his attention on a long storage shed, at the entrance to the field,to avoid it but, remain close. Consequently he did not see power lines about 20 feet above the ground just beyond the shed. The main landing gear caught three wires. The glider nosed down, then impacted the soft, plowed ground in a nose down attitude.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N433TT
- Reported as
- Glaser-Dirks DG 300
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 3E-82
- Airframe hours
- 75
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Dewald, Charles F.
- Registered owner
- Dewald, Charles F.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 1992 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- 02J · Cordele, GA
- Destination
- 02J
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
- 63
- Certificate
- Private
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 686 total · 25 in this make and model · 133 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCN, 40 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.