- Date
- May 28, 2012, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mocksville, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N817VPdps Pzl-Bielsko SZD-55-1
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 26, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120528010119A
- Case key
- 83827
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 failure to attain and maintain directional control during takeoff.
Findings · 2
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
According to the pilot, the glider's heading differed about 5 degrees from that of the towplane when the towplane began its takeoff roll. The pilot used rudder to correct the heading, but the glider dragged a wing and yawed 70 degrees to its right. The glider lifted 3 to 5 feet above the runway, the pilot released the tow, the glider touched down in a sideslip, and the resultant side load on the tail landing gear "buckled the tailboom 90 [degrees]." The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the glider that would have prevented normal operation, and that the accident might have been prevented by ensuring alignment of the glider with the towplane prior to the takeoff roll.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, his glider's heading differed about 5 degrees from that of the towplane, when the towplane began its takeoff roll. The pilot used rudder to correct but the glider dragged a wing, and yawed 70 degrees to its right as a result. The glider lifted 3 to 5 feet above the runway, the pilot released the tow, the glider touched down in a sideslip, and the resultant side load on the tail landing gear "buckled the tailboom 90 [degrees]." The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the glider that would have prevented normal operation, and that the accident might have been prevented by ensuring alignment of the glider with the towplane prior to the takeoff roll.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N817V
- Reported as
- Pdps Pzl-Bielsko SZD-55-1
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 551192035
- Airframe hours
- 1,143
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 28, 2012
- Departed
- 43NC · Mocksville, NC
- Destination
- 43NC · Mocksville, NC
- Airport
- 43NC · Bahson Gliderport, runway 01L, 3,000 × 260 ft
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
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Last flight review
- May 19, 2012
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 107 total · 7 in this make and model · 87 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KINT, 16 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 30, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 639 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.
Other investigations on N817V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.