- Date
- April 12, 1985, 15:59 local (20:59 UTC)
- Place
- Woodbine, MD
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N494BZCirrus Standard Cirrus
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 11171
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
During takeoff, the glider was observed to climb at an unusually steep attitude. Then at about 75 ft AGL (aprx 50 above the tow plane), the glider released from the tow rope. According to one witness, the acft maintained a nose high attitude, then pitched nose down, rotated to the left & struck the ground with the left wing & nose. The plt was seriously injured & could not recall details concerning the flt. No preimpact part failure/malfunction was found. The majority of the plt's previous experience was in a grob sailplane which had different handling characteristics. During takeoff in the standard Cirrus, its nose would characteristically rise by itself. However, in the grob, the plt should apply back pressure on the elevator control to achieve a nose high attitude. The plt had not flown the standard Cirrus in the previous 90 days.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N494BZ
- Reported as
- Cirrus Standard Cirrus (STANDARD C)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 262
- Airframe hours
- 95
- Engine
- unknown UNK, unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jerry Gaudet, Judy Garland
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 16, 1985
- Airport
- MC78 · Woodbine Drop Zone, runway 21, 2,000 × 100 ft, grass/turf
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 30
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 232 total · 52 in this make and model · 212 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DCA, 32 nm away