Schempp Hirth VENTUS 2CT N514TW

Summary

On 11 May 2020 at about 19:00 local time, a Schempp Hirth VENTUS 2CT registered N514TW was involved in an accident near Stuarts Draft, Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 May 2020 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Stuarts Draft, Virginia, United States

Coordinates

37.9925, -78.9814

Aircraft

Schempp Hirth VENTUS 2CT

Registration

N514TW

Category

Glider

Year built

2007

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Amelia Court House → Amelia Court House

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA20CA178

1 person had minor injuries.

A loss of thermal lift during a motor glider flight, which resulted in an off-airport landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's delayed attempted engine start.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

After departing on a local flight, the pilot of the motor glider crossed a ridge line into a valley at an altitude of about 8,000 ft mean sea level, and then glided to the south in search of lift, but was unsuccessful. He decided to land on a brown, flat, field that appeared to be recently tilled. The pilot set up for a landing, and then deployed the glider's sustainer engine. The engine did not start, so he continued his approach to land. During the landing, the right wing struck the ground, the glider ground looped, and was substantially damaged. The flight manual for the sustainer engine advised that, the sustainer engine should only be extended and started when there was suitable terrain for landing within gliding distance, and furthermore, below 984 ft above ground level, starting attempts were to be avoided "so as to have a safe height left for planning the approach pattern should the engine fail to run!" The pilot stated that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure with the glider, and that he would recommend trying to start the sustainer engine at a higher altitude.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.