Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-2B N7470C
4 August 2010 · Batesville, Texas, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 4 August 2010 at about 23:20 local time, a Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-2B registered N7470C was involved in an accident near Batesville, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and one died. 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 23:20
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Batesville, Texas, United States
- Coordinates
- 29.0436, -99.6719
- Aircraft
- Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-2B
- Registration
- N7470C
- 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
- CEN10LA459
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
Both glider pilots’ inability to see and avoid the other resulting in a mid-air collision.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
While participating in a soaring competition, a Schempp-Hirth glider and an Alexander Schleicher glider collided while in flight. The Schempp-Hirth glider was outbound from the last way point for the competition course and the Alexander Schleicher glider was inbound to this same point. The courses inbound and outbound from this way point are near reciprocals of one another. According to the pilot of the Alexander Schleicher glider and the damage to both gliders, the empennage and tailwheel of the Schempp-Hirth glider impacted the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator of the Alexander Schleicher glider. The speed, altitude, and course of each glider would not have allowed enough time for either pilot to see the other glider and react with enough time to avoid a collision. An examination of the airframe and related systems of both gliders revealed no anomalies.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-2B | N7470C | - | Substantial |
| Alexander Schleicher Gmbh & ASW 27-18 | N8829A | - | Substantial |
Other Schempp-Hirth VENTUS accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Oct 2010 | Schempp-Hirth VENTUS B/16.6 | Warren, Vermont, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Aug 2010 | Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-2B | Madisonville, Texas, United States | Hollenberg Richard A | No 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 | - |
| 9 Aug 2008 | Schempp-Hirth VENTUS 2A | Brackettville, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 18 May 2012 | Schempp-Hirth VENTUS 2CT | Duncansville, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Mar 2010 | Robinson R22 BETA II | Cotulla, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 30 Apr 2010 | Piper PA-28-140 | Houston, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jun 2010 | Piper PA-11 | Leander, Texas, United States | Campbell David | No injuries | - |
| 5 Mar 2010 | Beechcraft A36 | Slaton, Texas, United States | Gale Donald H | Minor injuries | - |
| 7 Jun 2010 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Brookshire, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Dec 2010 | Cirrus SR22 | Nacogdoches, Texas, United States | Martin Companies | Minor injuries | - |