- Date
- September 4, 2016, 13:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Benton, TN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N27BZSchleicher ASW 27
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160904023869A
- Case key
- 93999
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 descent below the glidepath and the subsequent hard, off-airport landing.
Findings · 4
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 of the glider, he released from the tow airplane at 2,000 feet above ground level and turned to the south toward a ridge in search of orographic lift. The pilot reported that he found "weak lift" in the vicinity of the ridge and when he reached the south end of the ridge, he turned back to the departure airport because he could not maintain altitude. The pilot recalled that while in route back to the airport, he encountered sink, descended below the glide path to the airport and initiated an off airport landing to a large field. The pilot reported that during approach, he over flew a set of powerlines that were perpendicular to his glide path and noticed a second set of powerlines ahead that were also perpendicular to his glide path. The pilot recalled that he turned to avoid the powerlines, encountered more sink, leveled the wings and landed hard in the field. The glider sustained substantial damage to the tailboom. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operations.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot of the glider, he released from the tow airplane at 2,000 feet above ground level and turned to the south toward a ridge in search of orographic lift. The pilot reported that he found "weak lift" in the vicinity of the ridge and when he reached the south end of the ridge, he turned back to the departure airport because he could not maintain altitude. The pilot recalled that while in route back to the airport, he encountered sink, descended below the glide path to the airport and initiated an off airport landing to a large field. The pilot reported that during approach, he over flew a set of powerlines that were perpendicular to his glide path and noticed a second set of powerlines ahead that were also perpendicular to his glide path. The pilot recalled that he turned to avoid the powerlines, encountered more sink, leveled the wings and landed hard in the field. The glider sustained substantial damage to the tailboom. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N27BZ
- Reported as
- Schleicher ASW 27 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 27002
- Built
- 1995
- Airframe hours
- 1,295
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mittell Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Mittell Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · April 6, 2016
- Departed
- 92A · Benton, TN
- Destination
- 92A · Benton, TN
- Airport
- 92A · Chilhowee, runway 03, 2,600 × 200 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display
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
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Last flight review
- January 30, 2016
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total · 950 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- KDZJ, 25 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 18, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 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.