Rolladen-Schneider LS-6B N246GC

Summary

On 14 May 2025 at about 18:00 local time, a Rolladen-Schneider LS-6B registered N246GC was involved in an accident near Hinckley, Illinois, 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

14 May 2025 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Hinckley, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Hinckley (0C2)

Coordinates

41.7709, -88.7034

Aircraft

Rolladen-Schneider LS-6B

Registration

N246GC

Category

Glider

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN25LA177

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the glider during takeoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he lost control of the glider during the first few seconds of the aerotow takeoff and the glider’s left wing contacted the ground. He stated that he released the glider from the tow airplane, but the glider cartwheeled. The pilot noted that he did not have a wing runner for the takeoff attempt. At the time of the accident the pilot reported that there was nothing mechanically wrong with the glider and that he had “poor airmanship” and was rushing in his flight preparations. The glider sustained substantial damage to the fuselage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.