Marsh-Turner BG-12A N8711R

Summary

On 4 May 1997 at about 16:40 local time, a Marsh-Turner BG-12A registered N8711R was involved in an accident near Marion, Ohio, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 May 1997 at 16:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Marion, Ohio, United States

Coordinates

40.5808, -83.1200

Aircraft

Marsh-Turner BG-12A

Registration

N8711R

Category

Glider

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Ferry

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Columbus

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC97LA085

1 person died.

Disconnection of the elevator control rod which resulted in the loss of elevator control. A factor was failure to complete the required maintenance inspection.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

With the owner at the flight controls, the experimental homebuilt glider was under tow to take it to another airport. Witnesses reported that about 1 minute after departure, the glider entered into a series of divergent pitch oscillations which terminated in a near vertical dive into a field. The tow rope separated during the oscillations. According to an FAA report, '...The rod end of the elevator/aileron control stick was found pulled out of push rod. The meal casing that the rod end fitted into was crushed. The rod end contained 1 fastener (rivet) core with signs of fretting and scoring, with the remaining attaching fastener core missing....' The last annual inspection was performed in August 1995. The glider was operated on an FAA special flight permit, which required either an inspection by an aircraft mechanic or a repair shop before the flight. No record of the inspection was found by the FAA inspectors.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.