ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 234866
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| Date: | Tuesday 7 April 2020 |
| Time: | 13:00 LT |
| Type: |  Schempp-Hirth Standard Cirrus |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N271BL |
| MSN: | 271 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1972 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Seminole Lake Gliderport (6FL0), Groveland, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Groveland, FL (6FL0) |
| Groveland, FL (6FL0) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
According to the tow pilot, while climbing through about 500 ft above the ground during takeoff, they encountered an area of turbulence and the glider got 'low on the tow' and out of view in his mirror. He then felt the glider release from the tow. Witnesses stated that the glider released from the tow at "low" altitude and turned back toward the gliderport when the nose of the glider pointed 'down," and the glider descended vertically from view.
Examination of the wreckage confirmed continuity to all flight control surfaces and revealed no preimpact mechanical anomalies.
Review of the pilot's logbook revealed a total of 49 flights. Of those flights, 44 were performed in two-seat gliders. The pilot had recorded five flights in the accident glider, all of which included an aerotow to a release altitude of either 2,500 or 3,000 ft agl. There was no evidence to indicate that the pilot had performed any simulated takeoff emergencies in the accident glider make and model.
A number of different mechanical, operational, and environmental factors can result in an early termination of a tow; however, the reason the pilot terminated the tow could not be determined based on available evidence. Witness descriptions of the glider's flight after release are consistent with the pilot exceeding the critical angle of attack while maneuvering toward the runway, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Probable Cause: The pilot's exceedance of the glider's critical angle of attack following his premature termination of the tow for reasons that could not be determined, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin during a turn back to the departure airport.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB ERA20LA145
FAA register: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N271BL
Location
Media:
NTSB investigating the April 7, 2020 crash of a Schempp-Hirth Standard Cirrus, Groveland, FL. The NTSB is not traveling to the scene of the crash at this time.
— NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) April 8, 2020
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 08-Apr-2020 04:43 | Captain Adam | Added |
| 08-Apr-2020 13:55 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Registration, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Phase, Source, Embed code, Damage] |
| 08-Apr-2020 16:32 | Geno | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative] |
| 08-Apr-2020 16:33 | Geno | Updated [Source] |
| 09-Apr-2020 04:47 | Anon. | Updated [Narrative] |
| 09-Apr-2020 15:34 | Anon. | Updated [Nature] |
| 01-Jul-2022 13:38 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Total fatalities, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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