Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
New Castle International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
New Castle, Virginia 24127
Sunday, April 10, 2011 14:45 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Witnesses observed the pilot completing a preflight examination of the glider and stated that the glider's initial tow off the ground was uneventful. However, witnesses and the pilot of the tow plane stated that shortly after the glider lifted off, it began to fly erratically back and forth on tow with the air brakes somewhat extended. The pilot did not respond to a radio call from the tow plane pilot advising him of the floating air brakes. Witnesses and the tow plane pilot observed the glider positioned low and to the left of the tow plane before it suddenly climbed up and to the right. The tow rope broke and the glider stalled then spun to the ground. No preexisting malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the glider were noted. The floating air brakes were likely due to the pilot's failure to secure the handle before takeoff, but they should not have resulted in a loss of control and could have been easily corrected by the pilot. The pilot had recently successfully completed a flying club check ride, and the wind at the time of the accident was relatively light and should not have been a factor. The pilot's autopsy and toxicological results did not reveal any physiological issues that would have affected the flight. However, the glider's lack of mechanical anomalies, the benign weather conditions, and the pilot's recently-demonstrated flying abilities contrasted sharply with the glider's erratic flight path, the pilot's failure to correct a relatively easy air brake discrepancy, and his lack of response to a radio call. Therefore, it is likely that the pilot became incapacitated for unknown reasons just after takeoff.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Pilot incapacitation shortly after takeoff for unknown reasons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/10/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1445 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | New Castle |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 24127 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 372824N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0800611W |
| Event Location Airport | New Castle International |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | VA85 |
| 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 | 1320 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1454 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 130 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ROA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1175 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 12 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| 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) | 29988 |
| 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 | May 24 2012 12:47PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N286BA |
| NTSB Number | ERA11LA234 |
| 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 | LET |
| Aircraft Model | L 33 SOLO |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 940313 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 749 |
| Aircraft Category | Glider |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 18 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1106 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BLUE RIDGE SOARING SOCIETY INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO BOX 787 |
| Aircraft Owner City | NEW CASTLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | VA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 24127-0787 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | BLUE RIDGE SOARING SOCIETY INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | PO BOX 787 |
| Operator City | NEW CASTLE |
| Operator State | VA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 24127-0787 |
| 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 | VA85 |
| Departure City | New Castle |
| Departure State | VA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1445 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | VA85 |
| Destination City | New Castle |
| Destination State | VA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 24 2012 12:48PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 18 |
| Runway Length | 2400 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |