- Date
- August 6, 1982, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Unionville, PA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N20KGSchleicher ASW-20
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 6, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820806034979A
- Case key
- 72896
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
While being towed during takeoff, the pilot moved the flaps from the neutral #3 to the positive #4 setting and the nose of the glider pitched up. The pilot realized there was no elevator control, the flaps were moved to the #1 (negative) setting and the two cable was released while the glider was still below 100 ft AGL. It continued straight ahead and collided with trees and underbrush. An investigation revealed that the elevator push rod was disconnected fromthe elevator. The pilot indicated that during the preflight check, the push rod pushed the elevator up and down when thestick was moved forward and aft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N20KG
- Reported as
- Schleicher ASW-20
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 20468
- Airframe hours
- 54
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Thomas Knauff/Doris Grove
- Registered owner
- Thomas Knauff/Doris Grove
- Departed
- 79N · Unionville, PA
- Destination
- 79N · Unionville, PA
- Airport
- 79N · Ridge Soaring Gliderport, runway 23, 3,500 × 100 ft, grass/turf
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Certificates
- Private, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 2,932 total · 30 in this make and model · 2,761 as pilot in command · 271 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.