- Date
- May 7, 2000, 12:40 local (16:40 UTC)
- Place
- Kutztown, PA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N67TTLudeman HP-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000507040379A
- Case key
- 49137
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 control of the glider. A factor related to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in make and model.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
A powered airplane was towing the glider. During the takeoff roll, the glider lifted off the ground and began to rise too high. The pilot overcorrected the glider and it struck the ground. 'Pilot induced oscillations' ensued, and the pilot could not control them. The pilot released the towrope, and the glider 'cartwheeled' on the ground before coming to rest inverted. The pilot reported 250 hours of total experience in gliders, with no experience in make and model.
Factual narrative
On May 7, 2000, about 1240 Eastern Daylight Time, a homebuilt HP-18, a glider, N67TT, was substantially damaged during takeoff from the Kutztown Airport, Kutztown, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, a powered airplane was towing the glider. During the takeoff roll, the glider lifted off the ground and began to rise too high. The pilot overcorrected the glider and it struck the ground. "Pilot induced oscillations" ensued, and the pilot could not control them. The pilot released the towrope, and the glider "cartwheeled" on the ground before coming to rest inverted.
The pilot reported 250 hours of total experience in gliders, with no experience in make and model.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N67TT
- Reported as
- Ludeman HP-18
- Category
- Glider, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 67
- Airframe hours
- 386
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard Mccoach
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 28, 2000 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- N31
- Airport
- N31 · Kutztown Airport, runway 28, 2,260 × 150 ft, grass/turf
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 250 total · 230 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RDG, 11 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.