- Date
- October 18, 2008, 13:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Winter Haven, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4929RLange Flugzeugbau E1 Antares
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Runway incursion veh/AC/person
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20081018857159A
- Case key
- 69322
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 failure of the pilot of the other airplane to announce his intentions prior to takeoff, resulting in a runway incursion. Contributing to the accident was the limited forward visibility due to the runway slope.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was preparing his self-launching glider for a local flight at the uncontrolled airport. As he approached the hold short line for runway 11, he announced his position and intentions on the common traffic advisory frequency. He entered the runway and commenced the takeoff roll. At 40 knots, he observed another airplane taking off on runway 29 (opposite direction). He veered the glider to the right into the grass, and the landing gear struck a gopher hole. The right wing struck a runway sign and the glider came to rest. The glider pilot asked the other pilot if he heard his takeoff transmission, and the other pilot replied no, he did not have a radio in his airplane. A crown in the runway does not allow a full view of opposing traffic on runway 11/29. After the accident, the pilot reported that his glider club will post a marshaller with a radio with full view of the runway to provide an "all clear" before takeoff.
Factual narrative
The pilot was preparing his self-launching glider for a local flight at the uncontrolled airport. As he approached the hold short line for runway 11, he announced his position and intentions on the common traffic advisory frequency. He entered the runway and commenced the takeoff roll. At 40 knots, he observed another airplane taking off on runway 29 (opposite direction). He veered the glider to the right into the grass, and the landing gear struck a gopher hole. The right wing struck a runway sign and the glider came to rest. The glider pilot asked the other pilot if he heard his takeoff transmission, and the other pilot replied no, he did not have a radio in his airplane. A crown in the runway does not allow a full view of opposite direction traffic on runway 11/29. After the accident, the pilot reported that his glider club will post a marshaller with a radio with full view of the runway to provide an "all clear" before takeoff.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4929R
- Reported as
- Lange Flugzeugbau E1 Antares
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 33E31
- Airframe hours
- 192
- Engine
- Lange Flugzeugbau LE 42, 47 horsepower
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Buchanan Roger N
- Registered owner
- Buchanan Roger N
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 25, 2008
- Departed
- GIF · Winter Haven, FL
- Destination
- GIF · Winter Haven, FL
- Airport
- GIF · Gilbert Field, runway 11, 4,001 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 67
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 6, 2007
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 3,250 total · 192 in this make and model · 3,000 as pilot in command · 76 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GIF
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.