Slingsby T65A N111XX

Summary

On 12 July 1997 at about 20:35 local time, a Slingsby T65A registered N111XX was involved in an accident near Bethel, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 July 1997 at 20:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Bethel, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Grimes Airport (8N1)

Coordinates

40.4500, -76.4204

Aircraft

Slingsby T65A

Registration

N111XX

Category

Glider

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Perkasie → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC97LA145

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's improper flare. A factor in the accident was the pilot's fatigue.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that after about 4 hours of flight, he elected to land his glider at Bethel due to a lack of updrafts. He put the gear down and 'and began making preparations for landing. Upon reaching pattern altitude...I found myself in a nose down attitude, in what may have been a spin.' He recovered from the maneuver, but lost significant altitude in the process. He deployed the spoilers to land, and heard a warning alarm. Then the glider impacted the ground hard enough for the canopy to separate. After sitting for several minutes, the pilot exited the glider. The pilot later wrote that he felt 'heat stress and physical fatigue...from working thermals as conditions weakened. Earlier termination of flight would have been prudent.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.