Summary
On April 27, 2014, a Schleicher Alexander K 7 (N1002Z) was involved in an accident near Benton, TN. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury. The aircraft sustained minor damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's distraction with traffic on the runway, and his subsequent failure to retract the air brakes prior to touchdown, which resulted in a hard landing.
In a statement to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot of the glider stated that he was on final approach for landing with the air brakes deployed when he observed another glider on the runway. He raised the nose of his glider to clear the other glider, but did not retract the air brakes, which resulted in a hard landing. The pilot sustained serious injuries. Postaccident examination by an FAA inspector revealed minor damage to the glider's tail skid, and no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
This accident is documented in NTSB report ERA14CA215. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N1002Z.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's distraction with traffic on the runway, and his subsequent failure to retract the air brakes prior to touchdown, which resulted in a hard landing.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
In a statement to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot of the glider stated that he was on final approach for landing with the air brakes deployed when he observed another glider on the runway. He raised the nose of his glider to clear the other glider, but did not retract the air brakes, which resulted in a hard landing. The pilot sustained serious injuries. Postaccident examination by an FAA inspector revealed minor damage to the glider's tail skid, and no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA14CA215