- Date
- September 19, 2020, 12:27 local (17:27 UTC)
- Place
- Union, IL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N32CPik PIK-20D
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration; Greater Chicago FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200919020741A
- Case key
- 102007
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 failure to maintain directional control during takeoff that resulted in a collision with another glider that was parked close to the departure runway, and the pilot’s improper decision to attempt a takeoff without ensuring he had safe clearance from the parked glider.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that while taking off behind the towplane, the glider drifted to the left and impacted the left wing of another glider that was parked on the ground close to the runway and positioned such that its left wing was about 7 ft in the air. The pilot lost control of the glider and the glider subsequently impacted the ground coming to rest inverted. The glider sustained substantial damage to the left wing, aft fuselage, and empennage. The parked glider sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the glider was taking off on runway 09 with wind 110o at 7 knots, gusting to 12 knots. The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented if they had waited until the other glider had been moved away from the runway before beginning the takeoff.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N32C
- Reported as
- Pik PIK-20D
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 20650
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 983
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2020
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 55LL · Sky Soaring Airport, runway 9, 3,000 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 83
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Last flight review
- June 13, 2020
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 1,444 total · 506 in this make and model · 1,444 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.39 inHg
- Observed at
- DKB, 17 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.