Accident Jonker JS-1B N504BT,
ASN logo
ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 286643
 
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information. If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.

Date:Sunday 23 August 2009
Time:15:52 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic jjs1 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Jonker JS-1B
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N504BT
MSN: 1B-004
Total airframe hrs:122 hours
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Tullahoma, Tennessee -   United States of America
Phase: Approach
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Tullahoma-Northern Airport, TN (THA/KTHA)
Destination airport:Tullahoma-Northern Airport, TN (THA/KTHA)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The pilot had completed his first flight in his newly purchased glider earlier in the day. He stated that the flight lasted about 2.3 hours and was "an absolute pleasure." A witness familiar with the make and model of the accident glider had flown alongside the accident pilot in an identical glider during the flight, and stated that the accident pilot's takeoff, flight, and landing were "textbook examples." During the second flight of the day, the accident pilot was towed to 1,000 feet above ground level for the purpose of making a traffic pattern flight with a subsequent landing. The pilot stated that the downwind leg of the traffic pattern turning to the base leg was "high." The pilot applied full flaps, and stated that on the final leg of the traffic pattern, his sight picture was "still high," and the runway was "easily made." The pilot's sight picture then "quickly" changed to "short of the runway," and he realized he would not clear the trees prior to the runway. The pilot pitched up to avoid the trees, and after clearing them, "unloaded the wings" and "dived" into a parking lot. The glider impacted the parking lot and came to rest after the left wing impacted a tree. The glider sustained substantial damage to the left wing and vertical stabilizer. Neither the pilot nor a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, who examined the glider after the accident, reported any mechanical malfunctions or anomalies. Several witnesses on the ground reported a noticeable subsidence of wind while the glider was on the final leg of the traffic pattern. The nearest weather reporting station, located approximately 50 miles northwest of the accident site, reported winds from 320 degrees at 10 knots at the time of the accident.

Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain a proper glidepath while on approach, resulting in landing short of the runway.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: ERA09CA479
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 4 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB ERA09CA479

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
03-Oct-2022 13:50 ASN Update Bot Added

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2024 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org