- Date
- July 29, 2017, 15:33 local (19:33 UTC)
- Place
- Mocksville, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N817VPdps Pzl-Bielsko SZD 55-1
- Defining event
- Landing: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170729007589A
- Case key
- 95715
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 improper landing flare in gusting wind conditions.
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 glider pilot reported that, during landing in gusting wind conditions, the glider bounced, so the pilot added "more spoiler" to help the glider settle back onto the ground. He added that a wind gust "rotated" the glider to the left, and the glider bounced about 3 to 4 ft. After the second bounce, the glider landed hard "with the nose yawed to the left." The glider sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located 16 nautical miles east of the accident airport reported that, about 40 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 30° at 17 knots, gusting to 20 knots. The pilot reported that the wind was from 360° at 15 knots, gusting to 20 knots. The glider landed on runway 1.
Factual narrative
The glider pilot reported that, during landing in gusting wind conditions, the glider bounced, so the pilot added "more spoiler" to help the glider settle back onto the ground. He added that a gust of wind "rotated" the glider to the left and the glider bounced again, about 3-4 ft into the air. After the second bounce, the glider landed hard "with the nose yawed to the left". The glider sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located 16 nautical miles east from the accident airport reported that, about 40 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 30° at 17 knots, gusting 20 knots. The pilot reported that the wind was from 360° at 15 knots, gusting to 20 knots. The glider landed on runway 1.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N817V
- Reported as
- Pdps Pzl-Bielsko SZD 55-1
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 551192035
- Built
- 1992
- Airframe hours
- 1,272
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · May 3, 2017
- Departed
- 43NC · Mocksville, NC
- Destination
- 43NC · Mocksville, NC
- Airport
- 43NC · Bahnson, runway 01, 3,000 × 100 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- None
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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Last flight review
- October 28, 2016
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 214 total · 62 in this make and model · 202 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 17 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.81 inHg
- Observed at
- KINT, 16 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 16, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.4 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 N817V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.