Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Chilhowee Gliderport Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Benton, Tennessee 37307
Thursday, June 28, 2012 11:30 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was landing the glider at the conclusion of her third solo flight. She stated that on the base leg of the traffic pattern, the glider was lower and farther away from the runway than she intended. She "set" the wing airbrakes, turned onto the final leg of the traffic pattern, and the glider began to sink. The glider subsequently impacted the ground short of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing spar and rear cockpit bulkhead. A postaccident examination of the glider revealed no evidence of preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The airbrakes were found fully deployed after the accident, and the pilot reported that she actually extended the airbrakes when she meant to stow them.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadvertent extension of the wing airbrakes, which resulted in a loss of lift and subsequent landing prior to the runway.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/28/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1130 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Benton |
| Event State | TENNESSEE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 37307 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 351321N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0843504W |
| Event Location Airport | Chilhowee Gliderport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 92A |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 770 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1556 Coordinated Universal Time? Same as GMT |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 189 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KMMI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 874 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | UTC |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2900 |
| 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) | 36 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.04 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KMMI 281856Z AUTO VRB04KT 10SM CLR 36/13 A3 |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30168 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 3 2012 12:51PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N273BA |
| NTSB Number | ERA12CA454 |
| 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-23 SUPER BLANIK |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 948118 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Glider |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 0 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 18 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1401 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DAVIS ROBERT L, MCKINNEY ROBERT, ATWELL LLOYD |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | SEYMOUR |
| Aircraft Owner State | TN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 37865-4611 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | HETTINGER MARGARET M. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Lebanon Junction |
| Operator State | KY |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 40150-8214 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 92A |
| Departure City | Benton |
| Departure State | TN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1230 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 92A |
| Destination City | Benton |
| Destination State | TN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 3 2012 12:51PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 21 |
| Runway Length | 2600 |
| Runway Width | 200 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |