Pilot Debrief

AIRCRAFT INDUSTRIES A.S. L33 SOLO near Bunn, NC — 2014-04-13

Final reportERA14LA199
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Date
2014-04-13
Location
Bunn, NC, USA
Airport
7NC5
Aircraft
AIRCRAFT INDUSTRIES A.S. L33 SOLO
Registration
N318BA
Category
Glider
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed while approaching the airport, which resulted in a stall/mush.

NTSB narrative

The glider was towed aloft and then released. Shortly after, the glider pilot radioed the towplane pilot and informed him that he was returning to the airport. Because of the short duration of the glider flight, the towplane pilot asked the glider pilot if he wanted to be towed aloft again, and he replied that he did. Witnesses on the ground reported observing the glider low on the downwind leg and then turning onto the base leg. Based on data from the onboard portable GPS receiver, the glider turned onto final approach and flew in a southerly direction toward the runway with its groundspeed decreasing from 34 to 25 knots during the last few seconds of the flight. The glider impacted the ground in a nose-low attitude, which caused the wing to separate. Postaccident examination of the glider found no evidence of a preimpact failure or malfunction of the flight controls or air brakes, and the air brakes were retracted. The published stall speed for the glider with the air brakes retracted is about 34 knots indicated airspeed. Although the indicated airspeed during the final portion of the flight could not be determined, the evidence indicates that the pilot likely failed to maintain adequate airspeed while approaching the airport, which resulted in a stall/mush.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted approach when realizing he was too low.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • ADS-B / radar
  • Photos
  • 11 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents11

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