- Date
- April 22, 2006, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Midlothian, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N340TWSchempp-Hirth Ventus-2C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 31, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Dallas FSDO
- FAA report
- 20060422009999A
- Case key
- 63582
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 inadvertent deployment of the spoilers during the aero tow takeoff for undetermined reasons, resulting in a hard landing.
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 630-hour glider commercial pilot reported that prior to departure from the 4,200-feet by 400-feet wide grass-turf gliderport, he followed his checklist items which included; checking and closing the spoilers, checking the seat belts and shoulder harnesses. During the aero tow takeoff, the pilot noticed the uncommanded opening of the spoilers and he elected to release from the aero tow. During the landing on the grass runway, the glider touched down hard. The glider received minor damage to its landing gear and the pilot was seriously injured. The reason for the uncommanded extension of the spoilers could not be determined.
Factual narrative
The 630-hour glider commercial pilot reported that prior to departure from the 4,200-feet by 400-feet wide grass-turf gliderport, he followed his checklist items which included; checking and closing the spoilers, checking the seat belts and shoulder harnesses. During the aero tow takeoff, the pilot noticed the uncommanded opening of the spoilers and he elected to released from the aero tow. During the landing on the grass runway, the glider touched down hard. The glider received minor damage to its landing gear and the pilot was seriously injured. The reason for the uncommanded extension of the spoilers could not be determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N340TW
- Reported as
- Schempp-Hirth Ventus-2C
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 45
- Airframe hours
- 301
- Engine
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Glider tow · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2006
- Departed
- Midlothian, TX
- Destination
- Midlothian, TX
- Airport
- TA11 · Tsa
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
- 66
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2005
- Flight hours
- 630 total · 301 in this make and model · 630 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 165° at 10 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.