Pdps Pzl-Bielsko SZD-50-3 N18SZ
4 April 2004 · Cherry Valley, Arkansas, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 4 April 2004 at about 19:00 local time, a Pdps Pzl-Bielsko SZD-50-3 registered N18SZ was involved in an accident near Cherry Valley, Arkansas, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 19:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Cherry Valley, Arkansas, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.3708, -90.7506
- Aircraft
- Pdps Pzl-Bielsko SZD-50-3
- Registration
- N18SZ
- Category
- Glider
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Cherry Valley → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW04LA103
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during the landing which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During an attempted landing to a field, the glider stalled and impacted the terrain. While on downwind to the gliderport, the pilot noticed another glider and tow airplane on the runway. The pilot elected to extend the downwind leg to allow the tow airplane and glider to depart the gliderport. After turning to final approach to the runway, the glider encountered an unexpected headwind. During the final approach, the pilot noticed a row of trees in front of the glider that he thought he would not be able to clear. The pilot turned the glider to the right and initiated a landing to an adjacent field. During the attempted landing, "[The pilot] allowed the airspeed to get too slow. At an altitude of about 30 feet agl, the glider stalled, spun to the right, and crashed into the field..."
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Pdps Pzl-Bielsko SZD-50 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Jul 2004 | Pdps Pzl-Bielsko SZD-50-3 | Lone Pine, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jan 2004 | Cessna 120 | Lonoke, Arkansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Oct 2004 | Beechcraft F35 | Chester, Arkansas, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 2 Jul 2004 | Piper PA-32-300 | Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 21 May 2004 | Air Tractor AT-602 | Brookland, Arkansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 May 2004 | Air Tractor AT-402 | Beedeville, Arkansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Feb 2004 | Beechcraft BE-23 | Mena, Arkansas, United States | Joe Anthony Salvato | No injuries | - |