- Date
- May 31, 2009, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Middletown, NY
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N391BAAB Sportine Aviacija LAK-17A
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090531012509A
- Case key
- 73961
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 control of the airplane while landing in gusty winds, which resulted in a loss of adequate airspeed and a subsequent aerodynamic stall.
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 described entering the traffic pattern to land on the grass adjacent to runway 26. The pilot reported that wind was out of the northwest at about 15 knots gusting to about 20 knots. The pilot said that “There was moderate turbulence on downwind which increased on base and final. The glider stalled about 8 feet above touchdown due to insufficient speed for the conditions and landed hard, breaking the tail boom… My speed on base and final was insufficient for the conditions.” The pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies or mechanical problems with the glider.
Factual narrative
The pilot described entering the traffic pattern to land on the grass, which was adjacent to runway 26. The wind was out of the northwest at about 15 knots gusting to about 20 knots. The pilot said “There was moderate turbulence on downwind which increased on base and final. The glider stalled about 8 feet above touchdown due to insufficient speed for the conditions and landed hard, breaking the tail boom… My speed on base and final was insufficient for the conditions.” The pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies or mechanical problems with the glider.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N391BA
- Reported as
- AB Sportine Aviacija LAK-17A
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 120
- Airframe hours
- 42
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 4, 2008 · 42 hours before
- Departed
- 1N7 · Blairstown, NJ
- Destination
- 1N7 · Blairstown, NJ
- Airport
- 06N · Randall Airport, runway 26, 2,810 × 60 ft, grass/turf
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
- Private
- Last flight review
- March 30, 2008
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 402 total · 41 in this make and model · 360 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.70 inHg
- Observed at
- KMGJ, 7 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 24, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 438 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.