Alexander Schleicher Gmbh & ASW 27-18 N129MG
15 July 2021 · Sterling, Massachusetts, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 15 July 2021 at about 20:00 local time, a Alexander Schleicher Gmbh & ASW 27-18 registered N129MG was involved in an accident near Sterling, Massachusetts, 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 20:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Sterling, Massachusetts, United States
- Nearest airport
- Sterling (3B3)
- Coordinates
- 42.4259, -71.7929
- Aircraft
- Alexander Schleicher Gmbh & ASW 27-18
- Registration
- N129MG
- Category
- Glider
- Year built
- 2012
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA21LA329
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain the glider’s stability in the roll axis during the takeoff roll, which resulted in a dragged wingtip and ground loop.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to the pilot, there was a slight depression in the narrow, paved strip used for glider takeoffs, and that during the takeoff roll, the left wing “flexed” and “dipped” such that the wingtip contacted the turf which created the pivot point around which the glider “ground-looped” which fractured the empennage aft of the cockpit. The pilot added that there had been “3 weeks of heavy rain” prior to the day of the accident and that the grass on either side of the takeoff strip was longer than usual, which reduced his wingtip clearance. He stated that while he had successfully departed the strip earlier that day, a lower grass height would have lowered his risk exposure during the takeoff run. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Alexander Schleicher Gmbh & ASW-27 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Feb 2024 | Alexander Schleicher Gmbh & ASW 27-18 | Polk City, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Alexander Schleicher Gmbh & ASW 27-18 | Greenwood, South Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jun 2009 | Alexander Schleicher Gmbh & ASW 27-18E | Ephrata, Washington, United States | Timothy Donovan | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Jul 2021 | Let L-23 SUPER BLANIK | Sterling, Massachusetts, United States | Greater Boston Soaring Club | Serious injuries | - |
| 6 Apr 2021 | Forisch Edward BUSHBY MUSTANG M II | Worcester, Massachusetts, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Feb 2021 | Piper PA46 | Leicester, Massachusetts, United States | Forza Management Co | Serious injuries | - |
| 9 Sep 2021 | Cessna 402C | Provincetown, Massachusetts, United States | Cape Air | Serious injuries | - |
| 31 Oct 2021 | Piper PA-28-236 | Orleans, Massachusetts, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 Apr 2021 | Cessna 402C | Hyannis, Massachusetts, United States | Hyannis Air Service | No injuries | - |