Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Windsor, Virginia 23487
Wednesday, October 3, 2001 13:15 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot completed a preflight inspection of the glider, including the cockpit area. After a tow release at 3,000 feet msl, the pilot flew for about 1 hour. To descend, the pilot completed a spin to the right. He then induced a spin to the left, and heard a loud bang when an object struck the inside of the canopy. Then pilot then saw the object float forward and settle into the area where the rudder pedals were located. As he tried to apply opposite rudder, he felt a binding in the pedals. He had sufficient rudder authority to stop the spin's rotation; however, the airplane's dive angle and airspeed had increased significantly. The pilot "pulled back fairly hard" on the control stick, and as the airspeed climbed to 100-110 knots, he recovered the glider. The object that became entangled in the rudder pedals was subsequently identified as a transformer used for charging the glider's battery. The transformer was not normally used in the glider for recharging. It had been borrowed from another club member, and "someone" had used it to charge the battery via a long extension cord. The battery would have normally been disconnected, and put on a small transformer/charger in the club office.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in a loose battery charger becoming entangled in the rudder pedals during a spin recovery, and a subsequent overstress of the glider. Factors included the loose battery charger, and the non-standard battery charging procedure.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/3/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1315 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Windsor |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 23487 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1251 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ORF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 27 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 270 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.14 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 11894 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Tidewater Soaring Society |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 13 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1100 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 18 2002 10:15AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Richmond |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N388BA |
| NTSB Number | NYC02LA027 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | LET |
| Aircraft Model | Blanik L 33 Solo |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 010514 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 749 |
| 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 | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 106 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Tidewater Soaring Society |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 14212 Iron Mine Spring Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | Windsor |
| Aircraft Owner State | VA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 23487 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 3VA8 |
| Departure City | Windsor |
| Departure State | VA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1230 |
| 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? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 12 2002 5:01PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PEAR |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |