Aircraft Industries A S L33 SOLO N318BA

Summary

On 13 April 2014 at about 19:42 local time, a Aircraft Industries A S L33 SOLO registered N318BA, operated by North Carolina Soaring Association, was involved in an accident near Bunn, North Carolina, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 April 2014 at 19:42

Classification

Accident

Location

Bunn, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Crooked Creek Airport (7NC5)

Coordinates

35.9347, -78.2422

Aircraft

Aircraft Industries A S L33 SOLO

Registration

N318BA

Category

Glider

Year built

1997

Operator

North Carolina Soaring Association

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bunn → Bunn

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA14LA199

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed while approaching the airport, which resulted in a stall/mush.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The glider was towed aloft and then released. Shortly after, the glider pilot radioed the towplane pilot and informed him that he was returning to the airport. Because of the short duration of the glider flight, the towplane pilot asked the glider pilot if he wanted to be towed aloft again, and he replied that he did. Witnesses on the ground reported observing the glider low on the downwind leg and then turning onto the base leg. Based on data from the onboard portable GPS receiver, the glider turned onto final approach and flew in a southerly direction toward the runway with its groundspeed decreasing from 34 to 25 knots during the last few seconds of the flight. The glider impacted the ground in a nose-low attitude, which caused the wing to separate. Postaccident examination of the glider found no evidence of a preimpact failure or malfunction of the flight controls or air brakes, and the air brakes were retracted. The published stall speed for the glider with the air brakes retracted is about 34 knots indicated airspeed. Although the indicated airspeed during the final portion of the flight could not be determined, the evidence indicates that the pilot likely failed to maintain adequate airspeed while approaching the airport, which resulted in a stall/mush.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.