Zs Delta-Bielsko Wroclaw SZD 36 A COBRA 15 N1075G

Summary

On 27 May 2018 at about 19:05 local time, a Zs Delta-Bielsko Wroclaw SZD 36 A COBRA 15 registered N1075G was involved in an accident near Hammond, Illinois, 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

27 May 2018 at 19:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Hammond, Illinois, United States

Coordinates

39.7969, -88.5917

Aircraft

Zs Delta-Bielsko Wroclaw SZD 36 A COBRA 15

Registration

N1075G

Category

Glider

Year built

1974

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Monticello → Hammond

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA18CA305

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s loss of directional control during an off-airport landing and his subsequent failure to maintain clearance from power pole guy wires.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the glider pilot, while skirting rain showers, he was unable to find lift and made an off-airport landing. The pilot made a straight-in approach to a field and noticed that power line poles lined the west side of the field. He made his approach just east of the poles so that he would have access to a road and could load the glider onto a transport trailer. The glider touched down on the dirt field, drifted toward the power line poles, and the left wing struck a guy wire that ran perpendicular to the poles. The glider sustained substantial damage to the left wing and the left side of the fuselage near the wing root. The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented if he had not landed so close to the poles. Further, he should have chosen a field earlier when he had more altitude, circled the field, and landed near the center. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.