- Date
- January 20, 2023, 13:40, time zone not recorded
- Place
- Benton, TN
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1NZEiriavion PIK-20D
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20230120000389A
- Case key
- 106616
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 decision to turn toward a mountain ridge in a thermal, which resulted in a collision with terrain.
Findings · 1
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 glider pilot reported that the day was a “good ridge day” and about 45 minutes into the flight he saw two large birds flying in a thermal. He attempted to enter the same thermal that the birds were in, turning towards a mountain ridge, the same direction the birds were circling. The pilot was carried out of the thermal and entered an area of sinking air which resulted in the glider impacting the ridge. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1NZ
- Reported as
- Eiriavion PIK-20D
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 20607
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 2,172.3
- Engine
- None, none
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 27, 2022
- Departed
- 92A · Benton, TN
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Data recorder
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
- 64
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- June 23, 2021
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 26,300 total · 75 in this make and model · 15,000 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- MMI, 7 nm away
- METAR
- KMMI 201915Z AUTO VRB05KT 10SM CLR 10/M02 A3014 RMK A01
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 15, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 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.
Other investigations on N1NZ · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.