Schleicher K-8B N4663S

Summary

On 7 March 1988 at about 21:30 local time, a Schleicher K-8B registered N4663S, operated by Sunspot Soaring, Inc., was involved in an accident near Miami, Florida, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

7 March 1988 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Miami, Florida, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Schleicher K-8B

Registration

N4663S

Category

Glider

Operator

Sunspot Soaring, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA88LA121

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT STATED THAT HE HAD PLACED THE GLIDER INTO A MILD DIVE & WAS INDICATING 90 TO 95 MPH, WELL BELOW REDLINE SPEED WHEN THE WHOLE SECTION OF THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE WING FROM THE AFT SPAR & WING ROOT OUT TO A DIST OF ABOUT 6 FT, SEPARATED FROM THE ACFT. THE PLT WAS ABLE TO LAND WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. ALTHOUGH MOST OF THE FAILED PIECES FELL FROM THE ACFT & WERE NOT RECOVERED, AN EXAM OF THE WING ROOT RIB REVEALED THAT IT HAD FAILED. THE WING SPOILER ATTACH BRACKET FOR THE SPOILER BELLCRANK IS ATTACHED TO THE FAILED RIB. THE PLT STATED THAT THE SPOILERS FLEW OPEN INADVERTENTLY DURING OR IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE REASON FOR THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE ACFT IS CONSTRUCTED ENTIRELY OF WOOD.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.