- Date
- July 4, 2014, 17:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Nephi, UT
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N643CACentrair 101A
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 20, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20140704011209A
- Case key
- 89770
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 identify the proper landing surface which resulted in an off airstrip landing and collision with rough terrain.
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 reported that while on downwind he elected to land on the grass runway parallel to the asphalt runway. As he crossed the threshold for the landing area, he realized he was landing onto a grass field next to the grass runway. With the glider too low to transition to the grass runway, the pilot continued to land onto the field. During the landing sequence, the glider impacted two culverts and sustained substantial damage to the fiberglass fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would preclude normal operation of the glider.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while on downwind he elected to land on the grass runway parallel to the asphalt runway. As he crossed the threshold for the landing area, he realized he was landing onto a grass field next to the grass runway. With the glider too low to transition to the grass runway, the pilot continued to land onto the field. During the landing sequence, the glider impacted two culverts and sustained substantial damage to the fiberglass fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would preclude normal operation of the glider.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N643CA
- Reported as
- Centrair 101A
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 101A0188
- Airframe hours
- 654
- Engine
- N/A N/A, none
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bick Frederic A
- Registered owner
- Bick Frederic A
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 24, 2014
- Departed
- U14 · Nephi, UT
- Destination
- U14 · Nephi, UT
- Airport
- U14 · Nephi Municipal Airport
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
- 70
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Last flight review
- July 13, 2012
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 299 total · 123 in this make and model · 263 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 16,000 ft
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- PVU, 30 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 10, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 260 KB 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.