- Date
- October 4, 2014, 11:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Pikeville, TN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N304AKHPH 304CZ
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Loss of lift
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 27, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20141004018229A
- Case key
- 90207
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, which resulted in an off-airport landing and subsequent impact with a pole.
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 stated that the glider had been aloft for about 30 minutes prior to experiencing a loss of lift. After selecting a field for an off-airport landing, the pilot maneuvered the glider towards the field, and upon touchdown, the left wing contacted a pole. The glider subsequently pivoted left and came to rest upright, resulting in substantial damage to the tail boom. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies of the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that the glider had been aloft for about 30 minutes prior to experiencing a loss of lift. After selecting a field for an off-airport landing, the pilot maneuvered the glider towards the field, and upon touchdown, the left wing contacted a pole. The glider subsequently pivoted left and came to rest upright, resulting in substantial damage to the tail boom. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies of the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N304AK
- Reported as
- HPH 304CZ
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 36-17
- Built
- 2001
- Airframe hours
- 312
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Dimentstein Shmuel
- Registered owner
- Dimentstein Shmuel
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 10, 2014
- Departed
- APT · Jasper, TN
- Destination
- APT · Jasper, TN
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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 8, 2014
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 19,500 total · 180 in this make and model · 12,000 as pilot in command · 70 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,600 ft broken
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KCSV, 21 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 16, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 MB 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.