Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Centre Airpark Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Centre Hall, Pennsylvania 16828
Sunday, July 1, 2007 16:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The accident glider was under tow for takeoff when the accident occurred. The glider lifted off before the tow airplane and then ascended to between 20 and 50 feet above the ground very quickly, and at a "high" angle of attack. The glider then yawed to the left and the left wing dropped before it began a slow roll to the right. The glider continued to roll right until it reached an attitude where the wings were perpendicular to the ground. It then sank down until the right wing impacted the ground. The glider "cart wheeled" onto its nose before coming to rest inverted. Examination of the glider revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies, and that the tow rope disconnected at the glider end at some point during the accident sequence. Toxicological testing of the pilot revealed the presence of a prescription antidepressant. The extent to which the drug may have affected the pilot, if at all, could not be determined.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inability to maintain control of the glider for undetermined reasons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/1/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1600 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Centre Hall |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 16828 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 404842N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0773925W |
| Event Location Airport | Centre Airpark |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | N16 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1307 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1600 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | UNV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1239 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 8000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| 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) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.12 |
| 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) | 23798 |
| NTSB Notification Source | East Regional Comm. Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 1 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 30 2008 11:48AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Harrisburg FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N176SS |
| NTSB Number | NYC07LA155 |
| 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 | Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau |
| Aircraft Model | Speed Astir II |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 4014 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1135 |
| 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 | -- |
| ELT Activated | -- |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | -- |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PS Soaring Inc |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Bellefonte |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | -- |
| 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 | N16 |
| Departure City | Centre Hall |
| Departure State | PA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1600 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | RVL |
| Destination City | Reedsville |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 11 2008 9:09AM |
| User who most recently changed record | grer |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 6 |
| Runway Length | 3100 |
| Runway Width | 210 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |