Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
George M. Bryan Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Starkville, Mississippi 39759
Friday, May 28, 2004 6:53 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated that prior to the flight he was concerned with the possibility of a low cloud deck forming, but due to the four to five degree Fahrenheit temperature/dew point spread and a gentle wind he decided to go ahead with the flight, while monitoring the improving weather conditions. The weather conditions continued to improve during the tow up to 12,000 feet pressure altitude where the glider was released from the tow airplane. He stated that his tow airplane pilot remarked that there was a scattered layer forming to the east and north of the airport. The pilot continued the flight until he noticed the scattered layer was getting thicker and elected to return to the airport and land. When he realized the scattered layer was beginning to form over the airport, he began a maximum rate descent. As he approached the top of the scattered layer at 3,000 feet, the glider's canopy fogged completely over almost instantly. The pilot's only view outside the glider was through a two inch by two inch vent window. At 700 feet AGL he realized he was not going to make the airport so he elected to land in a field. The glider touched down wings level and rolled out about 40 feet before hitting several tree stumps.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning and preparation and his delayed decision to return to the airport leading to an off airport landing as a result of deteriorating weather conditions. A finding in the investigation was the windshield that fogged up.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/28/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 653 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Starkville |
| Event State | MISSISSIPPI |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 39759 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 332559N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0885055W |
| Event Location Airport | George M. Bryan Field |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | STF |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1.66 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 238 |
| Airport Elevation | 332 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GTR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.88 |
| 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) | 16395 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 29 2004 1:02PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N40171 |
| NTSB Number | MIA04CA090 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Public Use |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Caproni Vizzola Cos. Aero. |
| Aircraft Model | A-21 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 207 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1420 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Mississippi Sate University |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO Drawer A |
| Aircraft Owner City | Mississippi State |
| Aircraft Owner State | MS |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 39762 |
| 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) | Public Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | STF |
| Departure City | Starkville |
| Departure State | MS |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 609 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| 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 | Emergency landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 29 2004 1:15PM |
| User who most recently changed record | KENJ |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |