Valentin TAIFUN 17E N13BH
17 June 2005 · Waterbury, Connecticut, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 17 June 2005 at about 13:25 local time, a Valentin TAIFUN 17E registered N13BH was involved in an accident near Waterbury, Connecticut, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 13:25
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Waterbury, Connecticut, United States
- Nearest airport
- Waterbury Airport (N41)
- Coordinates
- 41.6333, -73.0467
- Aircraft
- Valentin TAIFUN 17E
- Registration
- N13BH
- Category
- Glider
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Waterbury → Waterbury
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC05CA101
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilots inadvertent encounter with a downdraft, which resulted in the airplane impacting trees.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During the takeoff climb, when the airplane reached an altitude of 35 feet, it encountered a downdraft caused by trees on the west side of the runway. The airplane seemed to "sag," was unable to continue its climb, and impacted the tree line. The pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane. Witnesses also reported that the takeoff and initial climb appeared normal; however, at about 30 feet the airplane did not continue to accelerate or climb prior to impacting the trees.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Valentin TAIFUN accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Apr 2009 | Valentin TAIFUN 17 E II | Mammoth Lakes, California, United States | Allen R Melendy | Fatal | 2 |
| 15 Aug 1998 | Valentin TAIFUN 17E | Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Aug 1985 | Valentin TAIFUN 17E | Abilene, Texas, United States | Raymond E. Boyt | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jun 2005 | Cessna 150G | Willimantic, Connecticut, United States | Joseph Kaulback | No injuries | - |
| 20 Apr 2005 | Beechcraft A36TC | Southbury, Connecticut, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Apr 2005 | Piper PA-31P-350 | Ridgefield, Connecticut, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 2005 | Terrio POBER JR ACE | Oxford, Connecticut, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jun 2005 | Cessna 182Q | Groton, Connecticut, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 24 May 2005 | Cessna R182 | New Fairfield, Connecticut, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |