S.Z.D. SZD 48 JANTAR STD 2 accident near LaBelle, FL
On April 14, 2018, a S.Z.D. SZD 48 JANTAR STD 2 (glider) was involved in an accident near LaBelle, FL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- April 14, 2018
- Place
- LaBelle, FL
- Aircraft
- S.Z.D. SZD 48 JANTAR STD 2 · Glider
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 26.728°N, 81.421°W
- NTSB ID
- 20180416X80005
Official records · ERA18FA128
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn April 14, 2018, about 1540 eastern daylight time, an SZD-48 Jantar Standard 2 glider, N456RM, was substantially damaged after it impacted the ground near LaBelle Municipal Airport, LaBelle, Florida. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the private pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The witness who assisted the pilot in assembling the glider before the flight stated that the assembly was "normal." After affixing the wings to the fuselage, a positive control check was completed and the pilot prepared for takeoff. The glider was then attached to the tow rope of the tow airplane, and the glider was positioned on runway 14. The tow pilot, who had towed the pilot's glider for the past 5 years reported that he and the glider pilot were in radio communication before takeoff. According to the tow pilot, the pilot requested a "left break" after takeoff, which was precautionary in case the tow rope broke on climbout. The tow pilot was not concerned with the pilot's request because the wind was aligned with the departure runway. The tow pilot also stated that the glider pilot requested to be towed up to "3,000 ft above the field before release" and that the tow pilot acknowledged this request. During the initial climbout, when the glider was about 200 ft above ground level (agl), the tow pilot noticed that the tow rope had a lot of slack, which did not seem nor
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the glider for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.
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Browse: Florida
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
