Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-2C N60LK
4 August 2007 · Greensboro, Vermont, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 4 August 2007 at about 21:00 local time, a Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-2C registered N60LK was involved in an accident near Greensboro, Vermont, 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 21:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Greensboro, Vermont, United States
- Coordinates
- 44.6000, -72.2500
- Aircraft
- Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-2C
- Registration
- N60LK
- Category
- Glider
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Warren → Warren
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC07CA186
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's delayed decision to divert to a suitable landing area. Contributing to the accident was the uneven terrain of the forced landing site.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot departed the airport on a local flight in his sailplane, and flew to a point approximately 65 miles to the east. During the return leg of the flight, the "lift deteriorated" and the "headwind increased." The pilot realized he would not reach the airport, so he opted to perform a precautionary landing. He selected a "large hayfield," and the "approach and landing were successful." However, during the rollout, the left wingtip contacted terrain, and the sailplane groundlooped to the left causing substantial damage.. At the time of the accident, the surface winds, approximately 40 miles west of the accident site, were recorded as 350 degrees at 18 knots, with gusts to 23 knots. The recorded surface winds for the 2 hours prior to this were similar, with directions of 010 to 350 degrees, and speeds of 12 to13 knots and gusts of 18 to 20 knots. In his report to the National Transportation Safety Board, the pilot noted that he should have "diverted to an airport" sooner.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Schempp-Hirth VENTUS accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Jul 2007 | Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-2C | Bridgeport, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 Oct 2007 | Schempp-Hirth VENTUS B/16.6 | Salida, Colorado, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 10 Aug 2007 | Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-CM | Benton, California, United States | Geofrey R. Loyns | Fatal | 1 |
| 22 Apr 2006 | Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-2C | Midlothian, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 9 Aug 2008 | Schempp-Hirth VENTUS 2A | Brackettville, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Jul 2008 | Schempp-Hirth VENTUS A | Midlothian, Texas, United States | Richard Johnson | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Nov 2007 | Cessna 140 | Poultney, Vermont, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Jun 2007 | Piper PA-30 | Highgate, Vermont, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jun 2007 | Let SUPER BLANIK L-23 | Warren, Vermont, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Jun 2007 | Northwing APACHE QUEST | Springfield, Vermont, United States | Jeff Nicolay | Serious injuries | - |
| 10 Jul 2007 | Cessna 182R | Montpelier, Vermont, United States | Fredrick A. Heim | No injuries | - |
| 2 Nov 2007 | Smith Miniplane DSA-1 | Alburgh, Vermont, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |