Randall Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Middletown, New York 10940
Sunday, August 24, 1986 14:05 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE SAILPLANE WAS BEING TOWED INTO THE AIR. IT WAS OBSERVED TO COME OFF THE GROUND IN A TAIL LOW ATTITUDE AND THEN START PORPOSING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RELEASED FROM THE TOW PLANE AND IMPACTED. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED AND THE AIRCRAFT DESTROYED. NO EVIDENCE OF A PRE-EXISTING FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS NOTED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CARRYING BOTH WATER AND LEAD SHOT FOR BALLAST, HOWEVER THE BREAKUP OF THE AIRCRAFT ON IMPACT PREVENTED A DETERMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WEIGHT AND BALANCE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PLTS FLT TIME WAS NOT REPORTED OR AVAILABLE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/24/1986
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1405
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City MIDDLETOWN
Event State NEW YORK
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 10940
Event Date Year 1986
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport RANDALL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 06N
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 4000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 20
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 19
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 7
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 320
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 15
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 32
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency FAA
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2574
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 24 1986 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1405
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 33653
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:14AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N7XT
NTSB Number NYC86FHM03
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Schempp-Hirth
Aircraft Model VENTUS A
Aircraft Series Identifier VENTUS A
Aircraft Serial Number 84
Certified Max Gross Weight 948
Aircraft Category Glider
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 1
Number of Engines 0
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 1 1986 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 700
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ROBERT L. ROBERTSON
Aircraft Owner Street Address 10 GASTON FARM ROAD
Aircraft Owner City GREENWICH
Aircraft Owner State CT
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 06830
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code 06N
Departure City MIDDLETOWN
Departure State NY
Departure Country
Departure Time 1405
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --