- Date
- March 7, 1987, 15:20 local (21:20 UTC)
- Place
- Plainfield, IL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N694KSSchleicher ASK-21
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 13555
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 plt rprtd that drg takeoff, the tow plt released the tow rope at aprx 15' AGL. Rprtdly, he released the tow rope due to a perceived lack of takeoff & climb performance. After being released, the glider plt made a right turn to avoid unacceptable terrain ahead. While turning, the right wing tip hit the ground & then the glider crash landed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N694KS
- Reported as
- Schleicher ASK-21
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 21211
- Airframe hours
- 455
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Windy Sity Soaring, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Advanced Soaring Club Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 25, 1986 · 48 hours before
- Airport
- 1C5 · Clow, runway 36, 3,400 × 75 ft, dirt
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 1,602 total · 15 in this make and model · 1,370 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 15 knots, gusting 5
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ARR, 17 nm away