Brownsboro Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Brownsboro, Alabama 35741
Sunday, October 16, 2005 15:30 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot of the glider was making an approach to runway 27 when he misjudged the distance and collided with an road embankment 300-feet short of the runway threshold. Post-accident examination of the accident site revealed the glider slid over a road embankment perpendicular to the runway approach threshold and came to rest on the other side of the road. The fuselage of the glider was buckled.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's misjudgment of distance/altitude on final approach which resulted in an undershoot of the runway, and an in-flight collision with a embankment. A factor was the dirt bank/rising terrain.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/16/2005
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1530
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City Brownsboro
Event State ALABAMA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 35741
Event Date Year 2005
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? Yes
Event Location Latitude 344430N
Event Location Longitude 0862724W
Event Location Airport Brownsboro
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 3M5
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 --
Airport Elevation 650
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1553 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 180
Weather Observation Facility ID HSV
Elevation of weather observation facility 629
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 9
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
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) 24
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 10
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) 30.09
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 19125
NTSB Notification Source FAA Communication Center
NTSB Notification Date Oct 16 2005 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Feb 28 2006 12:35PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\JOHB
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Birmingham FSDO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N300HX
NTSB Number ATL06LA008
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 Elan/Glaser Dirks
Aircraft Model DG-300
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number DG-300
Certified Max Gross Weight --
Aircraft Category Glider
Aircraft Registration Class --
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 Unknown
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 Robert Thibodeau
Aircraft Owner Street Address 482 Rainbow Drive
Aircraft Owner City Madison
Aircraft Owner State AL
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 35758
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 Madison
Operator State AL
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 35758
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 3M5
Departure City Brownsboro
Departure State AL
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1500
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code 3M5
Destination City Brownsboro
Destination State AL
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Approach - VFR pattern - final approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Nov 25 2005 3:47PM
User who most recently changed record POWP
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 27
Runway Length 2180
Runway Width 160
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --