- Date
- July 30, 2018, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Clayton, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N608USAllen W Inks Virus SW
- Defining event
- Landing: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180730004859A
- Case key
- 97958
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 failure to maintain a proper descent rate, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing and runway overrun.
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 powered-glider pilot reported that, during the approach, about 10 to 20 ft above the ground, the descent rate was higher than normal. He moved his hand from the spoiler to the throttle, but before he could apply power to arrest the descent, the glider landed hard and bounced. The glider then banked left, he added full power, but the left wingtip impacted a hedge, and the glider rotated counterclockwise. Subsequently, the glider impacted the ground and came to rest on a dirt embankment. The powered-glider sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and engine mount. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The motor glider pilot reported that, during the approach, about 10 to 20 ft above the ground, the descent rate was higher than normal. He moved his hand from the spoiler to the throttle but before he could apply power to arrest the descent the glider landed hard and bounced. The glider then banked to the left, he added full power, but the left wingtip impacted a hedge and the glider rotated counterclockwise. Subsequently, the glider impacted the ground and came to rest on a dirt embankment. The glider sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage and engine mount. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N608US
- Reported as
- Allen W Inks Virus SW
- Category
- Glider, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 517 SWN 100 IS
- Built
- 2013
- Airframe hours
- 89.5
- Engine
- Rotax 912IS SPORT, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 2, 2018
- Departed
- TOC · Toccoa, GA
- Destination
- GA18 · Clayton, GA
- Airport
- GA18 · Big Creek Flying Ranch, runway 27, 2,800 × 60 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, ADS-B, Airframe parachute, Angle of attack indicator, Auto-pilot
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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Last flight review
- December 31, 2017
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 842 total · 95 in this make and model · 763 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,100 ft broken
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KTOC, 15 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 5, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 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.