Schleicher ASW-20L N4804W

Summary

On 4 July 2000 at about 16:50 local time, a Schleicher ASW-20L registered N4804W was involved in an accident near Gregory, Michigan, 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

4 July 2000 at 16:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Gregory, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Richmond Field Airport (69G)

Coordinates

42.4507, -84.0803

Aircraft

Schleicher ASW-20L

Registration

N4804W

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

CHI00LA188

1 person was seriously injured.

the control stick movement being restricted by the pilot's seat-type parachute and the excessive descent rate and airspeed during landing. A factor to the accident was the pilot's lack of familiarity with the aircraft.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he identified a problem with his pitch control while on initial climb on aero-tow. The pilot released from the tow-plane at approximately 1000-feet above ground level on a downwind departure. The pilot maneuvered the glider back to the airport, but landed at a higher than normal airspeed and rate of descent. Post-accident investigation failed to reveal any anomalies with the glider or its control systems that could be associated with a preexisting condition. In subsequent interviews with the pilot it was identified that he was wearing a seat-type parachute. In a discussion with a distributor of the accident glider make and model, it was noted that a larger person wearing a seat-type parachute could interfere with the motion of the control stick in the cockpit. According to Federal Aviation Administration records, the pilot reported his height and weight, at his last medical examination, as 70-inches and 230-pounds respectively. The pilot reported that he had three hours in the accident glider make and model prior to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.