Schempp-Hirth VENTUS 2A N777UN
9 August 2008 · Brackettville, Texas, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 9 August 2008 at about 20:32 local time, a Schempp-Hirth VENTUS 2A registered N777UN was involved in an accident near Brackettville, Texas, United States. 2 people were 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 20:32
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Brackettville, Texas, United States
- Coordinates
- 29.2111, -99.7433
- Aircraft
- Schempp-Hirth VENTUS 2A
- Registration
- N777UN
- Category
- Glider
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Air Race/Show
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Uvalde → Uvalde
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN08LA137
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The failure of the pilot of N777UN to exit the thermal upon losing visual contact with the other gliders, resulting in a midair collision.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to the pilot of N110RG, he was stabilized in a right 55 degree bank and had completed three turns when he heard a loud bang and immediately "lost control." The right wing dropped, the glider rolled to the right, and went inverted. The pilot of N110RG exited the glider and deployed his parachute. During the egress he was seriously injured. According to the pilot of N777UN, he had observed two gliders in the thermal in front of him and entered the thermal underneath them. After two turns in the thermal, he lost sight of the two gliders and collided, shortly thereafter, with N110RG. His left wing and winglet impacted the right wing of the other glider. The pilot of N777UN landed uneventfully. N110RG was destroyed and N777UN sustained minor damage. The damage to the right wing, sustained during the collision, rendered N110RG uncontrollable. Soaring procedure recommend that the pilot exit a thermal if visual contact is lost with another glider and cannot be established via a radio call.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schempp-Hirth VENTUS 2A | N777UN | - | Substantial |
| Ab Sportine Aviacija GENESIS 2 | N110RG | - | Substantial |
Other Schempp-Hirth VENTUS accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Jul 2008 | Schempp-Hirth VENTUS A | Midlothian, Texas, United States | Richard Johnson | Fatal | 1 |
| 5 Jul 2007 | Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-2C | Bridgeport, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 29 Jun 2009 | Schempp-Hirth VENTUS 2CM | Paragonah, Utah, United States | Michael K Packard | Fatal | 1 |
| 8 Aug 2009 | Schempp-Hirth VENTUS 2CM | St. Elmo, Alabama, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 4 Aug 2007 | Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-2C | Greensboro, Vermont, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Oct 2007 | Schempp-Hirth VENTUS B/16.6 | Salida, Colorado, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Jul 2008 | Marshall James J COZY MK IV | Midlothian, Texas, United States | Marshall James J | Fatal | 1 |
| 15 Mar 2008 | Robinson R22 BETA | Horseshoe Bay, Texas, United States | Kent Leighton | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 Jan 2008 | Micco MAC-145B | Arcola, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jun 2008 | British Aircraft Corp (Bac) JET PROVOST T MK.5A | Bay City, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jun 2008 | Piper PA-38-112 | Taylor, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jul 2008 | Robinson R22 | Rosharon, Texas, United States | William T. Skinner | No injuries | - |