- Date
- July 31, 1990, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Plainfield, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N342KSSchleicher ASK-21
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900731029339A
- Case key
- 14742
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 glider pilot's improper aircraft handling at low atitude.
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 pilot stated that he allowed his aircraft to get out of position behind the tow plane during initial climbout. He reported that he was afraid the tow line would pull the tow plane out of control at low altitude, so he released and attempted to return to the departure airport for a landing. The glider impacted trees on the edge of the airport and came to rest in a bean field.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N342KS
- Reported as
- Schleicher ASK-21
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 21253
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Advanced Soaring Klub, Ltd.
- Registered owner
- Advanced Soaring Klub, Ltd.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Airport
- 1C5 · Clow International
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 64
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,316 total · 8 in this make and model · 1,123 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ARR
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.