- Date
- May 24, 2003, 16:10 local (21:10 UTC)
- Place
- Hampshire, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3650Glasflugel Libelle 201B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA - DuPage FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030524019919A
- Case key
- 57137
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 unsuitable terrain encountered by the pilot during the off airport landing. A factor was the rock.
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
The glider sustained substantial damage when it struck a rock while conducting an off-airport landing. The pilot reported that during the 2 hour and 40 minute flight he reached a maximum altitude of 8,200 feet agl. The pilot reported that the glider lost altitude for the remainder of the flight. The pilot stated that he realized he would be unable to reach the airport and decided to perform an off-airport landing to an nearby agricultural field. The pilot reported that upon landing he felt the tail wheel strike something hard. When he exited the aircraft, he found he had struck a large rock which was not visible when he made his landing.
Factual narrative
On May 24, 2003, at 1610 central daylight time, a Glasflugel Libelle 201B glider, N3650, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when it struck a rock while landing in a field near Hampshire, Illinois. The pilot reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight departed Sky Soaring Airport (55LL), Union, Illinois, at 1330 on the local flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
According to the pilot, at 3,000 feet above ground level (agl) the glider released from the tow aircraft. The pilot reported that during the 2 hour and 40 minute flight he had reached a maximum altitude of 8,200 feet agl. The pilot reported that the glider lost altitude during the remainder of the flight. The pilot stated he realized he would be unable to reach 55LL and decided to perform an off-airport landing to an nearby agricultural field. The pilot reported that upon landing he felt the tail wheel strike something hard. When he exited the aircraft, he found he had struck a large rock which was not visible when he made his approach.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3650
- Reported as
- Glasflugel Libelle 201B
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 166
- Airframe hours
- 1,428.7
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William Marshall Lee
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 6, 2002 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- 55LL · Union, IL
- Destination
- IL
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
- 81
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- September 10, 2001
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,002 total · 178 in this make and model · 600 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- KDKB, 25 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.