- Date
- August 10, 2008, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fincastle, VA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4281BI.C.A.-Brasov IS-26B2
- Defining event
- Landing: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080810849379A
- Case key
- 68676
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 geographic disorientation, which resulted in an off-airport landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's selection of an inadequate landing site.
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
According to the pilot of the I.C.A.-Brasov glider, he was towed to 4,000 feet and released southwest of the airport for a local flight. After release, the pilot attempted to orient himself geographically, but was unsuccessful. He typically operated north and east of the airport. According to the passenger, the pilot misidentified several landmarks, and the passenger attempted to correct him. The pilot eventually realized that he was no longer able to return to the airport of origin. He selected what he believed to be a suitable landing site, but after he turned onto the base leg of the approach, he saw that the field crop was corn instead of hay. At that point, the pilot was committed to landing, and there was no suitable alternate field within range. The glider settled into the corn, but then dropped suddenly to the ground, which resulted in substantial damage.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot of the I.C.A.-Brasov glider, he was towed to 4,000 feet, and released southwest of the airport for a local flight. After release, the pilot attempted to orient himself geographically, but was unsuccessful. He typically operated north and east of the airport. According to the passenger, the pilot misidentified several landmarks, and the passenger attempted to correct him. The pilot eventually realized that he was no longer able to return to the airport of origin. He selected what he believed to be a suitable landing site, but after he turned onto the base leg of the approach, he saw that the field crop was corn instead of hay. At that point, the pilot was committed to landing, and there was no suitable alternate field within range. The glider settled into the corn, but then dropped suddenly to the ground, which resulted in substantial damage. The pilot reported 21 hours of flight experience in gliders, with 15 hours as pilot in command. Subsequent to the accident, the operator provided its pilots with handheld global positioning system (GPS) units, and implemented several changes to its glider pilot initiation program, including identification of landmarks and geographic features, and identification and rating of off-field landing sites.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4281B
- Reported as
- I.C.A.-Brasov IS-26B2
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 123
- Airframe hours
- 1,200
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Springwood Soaring Association
- Registered owner
- Springwood Soaring Association
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2008
- Departed
- 08VA · Fincastle, VA
- Destination
- 08VA · Buchanan, VA
- Airport
- 08VA · Springwood Gliderport
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
- 69
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2007
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 7,868 total · 18 in this make and model · 5,662 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- ROA, 18 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.