Jonker JS-1B N504BT

Summary

On 23 August 2009 at about 21:52 local time, a Jonker JS-1B registered N504BT, operated by Barton L. Tate, was involved in an accident near Tullahoma, Tennessee, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 August 2009 at 21:52

Classification

Accident

Location

Tullahoma, Tennessee, United States

Nearest airport

Tullahoma Regional (THA)

Coordinates

35.3803, -86.2464

Aircraft

Jonker JS-1B

Registration

N504BT

Category

Glider

Operator

Barton L. Tate

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tullahoma → Tullahoma

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09CA479

Nobody was injured.

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

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

Read the full NTSB 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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.