Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Wheeling Ohio County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Wheeling, West Virginia 26003
Sunday, September 20, 2009 13:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to the pilot, he had just leveled off the motor glider after an initial climb when the left canopy latch loosened and the canopy raised up about 2 inches. With wind blowing into the cockpit area, the pilot returned to the departure airport and made a straight-in approach, landing left of runway centerline. The motor glider subsequently veered to the left during the landing rollout and groundlooped, striking runway signage and lighting, and substantially damaging the composite left wing. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies noted with the motor glider, and the canopy latch system functioned normally. The pilot, who reported 39 hours in make and model, also noted "vision problems with airflow into cockpit" during the approach and landing. Winds, recorded at the airport about the time of the accident, were variable, between 3 and 6 knots.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to properly secure the canopy latch which resulted in an in-flight canopy opening.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/20/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1300 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Wheeling |
| Event State | WEST VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 26003 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 401030N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0803846W |
| Event Location Airport | Wheeling Ohio County Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | HLG |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1195 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1253 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KHLG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| 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) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.21 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26387 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Eastern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 23 2010 12:02PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N46068 |
| NTSB Number | ERA09CA534 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AEROMOT |
| Aircraft Model | AMT200 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | S |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 200.159 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1874 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 13 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 5 |
| Airframe Hours | 85 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | David Shaeffer |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | Box 240A Dement Rd. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Triadelphia |
| Aircraft Owner State | WV |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 26059 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | David Shaeffer |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | Box 240A Dement Rd. |
| Operator City | Triadelphia |
| Operator State | WV |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 26059 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | HLG |
| Departure City | Wheeling |
| Departure State | WV |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | HLG |
| Destination City | Wheeling |
| Destination State | WV |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 4 2009 3:25PM |
| User who most recently changed record | muzd |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 03 |
| Runway Length | 5001 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |