- Date
- July 10, 2022, 15:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Elbert, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N53JCSchleicher ASW-19B
- Defining event
- Landing: Ground collision
- 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
- Case key
- 105501
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 misidentification of the runway during the visual approach which resulted in an off runway landing and impact with a trailer.
Findings · 3
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 after encountering some unexpected wind shear about 10,000 ft mean sea level, he decided to terminate the flight and return to the departure airport. Given the ground wind conditions, the pilot entered a left traffic pattern to the gravel runway. For an unknown reason, the pilot turned final and lined up for landing on an adjacent parallel gravel roadway. The glider touched down normally and impacted a parked trailer with the right wing. The right wing sustained substantial damage to the leading edge. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N53JC
- Reported as
- Schleicher ASW-19B
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 19415
- Built
- 1985
- Airframe hours
- 671
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 10, 2022
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- CO15 · Kelly Air Park
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Handheld GPS
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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Last flight review
- January 21, 2021
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 210 total · 25 in this make and model · 210 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 16 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.34 inHg
- Observed at
- KMNH, 1 nm away
- METAR
- KMNH 102134Z AUTO 10016G24KT 10SM CLR A3034 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT E
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 24, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.1 MB in all.