- Date
- May 16, 2021, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hampshire, IL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N41CRI.C.A.-Brasov IS-28B2
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Miscellaneous/other
- 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
- FAA Greater Chicago FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210516009789A
- Case key
- 103108
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 flight instructor’s failure to maintain aircraft control resulting in the exceedance of the glider’s critical angle of attack following the breakage of the weak/safety link during a winch launch, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and spin, and subsequent impact with trees and terrain.
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 flight instructor of the instructional glider flight reported that during a winch launch with the student pilot, the glider accelerated to 70 kts exceeding the winch launch speed. As the flight instructor attempted to decrease the airspeed to the normal winch launch speed, the weak/safety link broke and the glider separated from the towing cable. The flight instructor attempted to maneuver the glider for a landing back to the runway; however, during the turn to enter the final approach, the glider’s critical angle of attack was exceeded, and the glider entered an aerodynamic stall/spin. The glider impacted trees and terrain coming to rest on a grass field. The glider sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and to both wings. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation. The flight instructor also reported that he should have maintained sufficient airspeed to prevent a “stall/spin” at a low altitude.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N41CR
- Reported as
- I.C.A.-Brasov IS-28B2
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 71
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 1,553
- Engine
- None None, none
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Sky Soaring Inc, doing business as Sky Soaring Inc
- Registered owner
- Sky Soaring Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 20, 2021
- Departed
- 55LL · Hampshire, IL
- Airport
- 55LL · Sky Soaring, runway 09-27, 3,000 × 100 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- None
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 65
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea
- Last flight review
- August 17, 2020
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 762 total · 20 in this make and model · 527 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KDKB, 16 nm away
- METAR
- KDKB 161755Z AUTO 23005KT 10SM SCT037 19/12 A3018 RMK AO2 T01930117 10194 20114
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 15, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.