- Date
- July 7, 2008, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Elmira, NY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N363KSSchleicher ASK-21
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing area undershoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 68394
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 misjudged distance/altitude while soaring.
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 pilot stated that after his Schleicher ASK-21 glider was towed aloft to 2,000 feet and released, he flew too far from the airport traffic pattern. He said that during the return to the airport, he encountered a "sink and waterfall" effect, which caused a low approach, resulting in his inability to make it to the airport. Subsequently, there was a collision with terrain 100 feet short of the runway. The pilot added that there were no deficiencies with the performance and handling of the glider.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that after his Schleicher ASK-21 glider was towed aloft to 2,000 feet and released, he flew too far from the airport traffic pattern. He said that during the return to the airport, he encountered a "sink and waterfall" effect, which caused a low approach, resulting in his inability to make it to the airport. Subsequently, there was a collision with terrain 100 feet short of the runway. The pilot added that there were no deficiencies with the performance and handling of the glider.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N363KS
- Reported as
- Schleicher ASK-21
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 21228
- Airframe hours
- 5,011
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Harris Hill Soaring Corporation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2007 · 76 hours before
- Departed
- 4NY8 · Elmira, NY
- Destination
- 4NY8 · Elmira, NY
- Airport
- 4NY8 · Harris Hill, runway 16, 1,115 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 491 total · 481 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- ELM, 2 nm away