- Date
- July 20, 2007, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Northfield, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N135EXSchweizer SGS 1-35C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 30, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20070720019869A
- Case key
- 66343
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 adequate airspeed, which resulted in a stall during the off-airport landing. A factor contributing to the accident was the dirt/rock pile.
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 was substantially damaged during an off-airport landing. The pilot stated that as he was returning from a flight about 7 miles west of the departure airport, he encountered heavy sink and found himself at 1,100 feet above ground level. The pilot then elected to make an off-airport landing to a cow pasture. He stated that his approach was "somewhat high, and [he] had to lose altitude while rapidly approaching the upslope terrain with a dirt/rock pile at the far end." The pilot stated that he pitched up to either lose speed, or avoid the dirt/rock pile, causing the glider to balloon. The glider then stalled about 5 to 10 feet above the ground and bounced "very hard." The glider's fuselage was subsequently found to have damage to the bulkhead and skins.
Factual narrative
The glider was substantially damaged during an off-airport landing. The pilot stated that as he was returning from a flight about 7 miles west of the departure airport, he encountered heavy sink and found himself at 1,100 feet above ground level. The pilot then elected to make an off-airport landing to a cow pasture. He stated that his approach was "somewhat high, and [he] had to lose altitude while rapidly approaching the upslope terrain with a dirt/rock pile at the far end." The pilot stated that he pitched up to either lose speed, or avoid the dirt/rock pile, causing the glider to balloon. The glider then stalled about 5 to 10 feet above the ground and bounced "very hard." The glider's fuselage was subsequently found to have damage to the bulkhead and skins.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N135EX
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS 1-35C
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 72
- Airframe hours
- 876
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Clear Sky LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2007
- Departed
- SYN · Stanton, MN
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
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2006
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 328 total · 22 in this make and model · 275 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- SYN, 4 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.