- Date
- May 12, 2013, 16:25 local (20:25 UTC)
- Place
- Henderson, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N81799Pdps Pzl-Bielsko SZD-55-1
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Loss of lift
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130512009829A
- Case key
- 87114
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
A loss of aerodynamic lift that resulted in a forced landing to unsuitable terrain.
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
The pilot reported that he had been soaring in his glider for approximately 3 hours. While returning to the airport, the glider encountered a sink and had descended 2,500 feet before the pilot was able to find a more favorable air mass. At that time, the glider was too low to fly to the airport and the pilot elected to land in a field. While on final approach, the pilot noticed that the field had deep ruts; however, he was committed to landing at that point. During the landing, the left wing struck a rut and the glider ground-looped, which partially separated the tailboom. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the glider.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he had been soaring in his glider for approximately 3 hours. While returning to the airport, the glider encountered a sink and had descended 2,500 feet before the pilot was able to find a more favorable air mass. At that time, the glider was too low to fly to the airport and the pilot elected to land in a field. While on final approach, the pilot noticed that the field had deep ruts; however, he was committed to landing at that point. During the landing, the left wing struck a rut and the glider ground-looped, which partially separated the tailboom. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the glider.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N81799
- Reported as
- Pdps Pzl-Bielsko SZD-55-1
- Category
- Glider, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 551199108
- Airframe hours
- 339
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Zlatko Sitar
- Registered owner
- Zlatko Sitar
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · December 30, 2012
- Departed
- 79NC · Louisburg, NC
- Destination
- 79NC · Louisburg, NC
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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Last flight review
- August 4, 2012
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 124 total · 72 in this make and model · 96 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 6 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- HNZ, 12 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 17, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 891 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.