Summary
On May 04, 2008, a Schempp-hirth Nimbus-4M (N747JN) was involved in an accident near Ephrata, WA. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and his failure to connect the left aileron control rod during assembly.
This was the first flight after removal of the glider from storage and its reassembly. The pilot reported that during takeoff initial climb, the glider started to roll to the left despite his control inputs. He decided to abort the takeoff and land straight ahead while attempting to maintain control of the powered glider. Subsequently, the left wing struck the ground and the glider began to cart wheel. Examination of the airframe revealed that the left and right wings were structurally damaged and the empennage was partially separated. Examination of the flight control system revealed that the left aileron connecting rod was disconnected at the fuselage/wing quick connection point and was undamaged.
This accident is documented in NTSB report SEA08CA122. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N747JN.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and his failure to connect the left aileron control rod during assembly.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
This was the first flight after removal of the glider from storage and its reassembly. The pilot reported that during takeoff initial climb, the glider started to roll to the left despite his control inputs. He decided to abort the takeoff and land straight ahead while attempting to maintain control of the powered glider. Subsequently, the left wing struck the ground and the glider began to cart wheel. Examination of the airframe revealed that the left and right wings were structurally damaged and the empennage was partially separated. Examination of the flight control system revealed that the left aileron connecting rod was disconnected at the fuselage/wing quick connection point and was undamaged. The pilot stated that during assembly of the glider prior to the flight, the left aileron control tube was inadvertently not attached and that he did not verify that all flight controls moved free and correct prior to takeoff.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# SEA08CA122