Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Batesville, Texas 78829
Wednesday, August 4, 2010 18:20 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While participating in a soaring competition, a Schempp-Hirth glider and an Alexander Schleicher glider collided while in flight. The
Schempp-Hirth glider was outbound from the last way point for the competition course and the Alexander Schleicher glider was inbound to this same point. The courses inbound and outbound from this way point are near reciprocals of one another. According to the pilot of the Alexander Schleicher glider and the damage to both gliders, the empennage and tailwheel of the Schempp-Hirth glider impacted the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator of the Alexander Schleicher glider. The speed, altitude, and course of each glider would not have allowed enough time for either pilot to see the other glider and react with enough time to avoid a collision. An examination of the airframe and related systems of both gliders revealed no anomalies.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Both glider pilots’ inability to see and avoid the other resulting in a mid-air collision.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/4/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1820 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Batesville |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 78829 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | -- |
| Event Location Latitude | 290237N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0994019W |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1751 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KHDO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 930 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 31 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 70000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Broken |
| 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) | 37 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 20 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 140 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 17 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.95 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 28552 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ASW ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 26 2011 2:44PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7470C | N8829A |
| NTSB Number | CEN10LA459A | CEN10LA459B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No | No |
| Damage | Substantial | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | SCHEMPP-HIRTH | ALEXANDER SCHLEICHER GMBH & CO |
| Aircraft Model | VENTUS-2B | ASW 27-18 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 150 | 29034 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Glider | Glider |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 0 | 0 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 4 2009 12:00AM | Mar 12 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 623 | 208 |
| ELT Installed | No | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | OCALLAGHAN CHRISTOPHER C | WAGNER TED |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 101 CHESTNUT HILL WAY | 660 E FAIRWAY DR |
| Aircraft Owner City | FREDERICK | LITCHFIELD |
| Aircraft Owner State | MD | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 21702-4048 | 85340 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Name | OCALLAGHAN CHRISTOPHER C | Ralph Berg |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes | No |
| Operator Street Address | 101 CHESTNUT HILL WAY | -- |
| Operator City | FREDERICK | Phoenix |
| Operator State | MD | AZ |
| Operator Country | USA | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 21702-4048 | 85032 |
| Operator Code | -- | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No | 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) | Air Race/Show | Air Race/Show |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KUVA | KUVA |
| Departure City | Uvalde | Uvalde |
| Departure State | TX | TX |
| Departure Country | USA | USA |
| Departure Time | -- | 1255 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | KUVA | KUVA |
| Destination City | Uvalde | Uvalde |
| Destination State | TX | TX |
| Destination Country | USA | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 13 2011 3:45PM | Jun 8 2011 5:05PM |
| User who most recently changed record | chuk | kaij |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A | -- |
| Runway Length | -- | -- |
| Runway Width | -- | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |