Aviastroitel AC 4C accident near Front Royal, VA
On February 9, 2020, an Aviastroitel AC 4C (glider) was involved in an accident near Front Royal, VA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- February 9, 2020
- Place
- Front Royal, VA
- Aircraft
- Aviastroitel AC 4C · Glider
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 38.550°N, 78.140°W
- NTSB ID
- 20200209X61613
Official records · ERA20FA097
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn February 9, 2020, about 1320 eastern standard time, an experimental amateur-built Aviastroitel AC-4C glider, N912ES, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near the Front-Royal Warren County Airport (FRR), Front Royal, Virginia. The pilot was fatally injured. The glider was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot was a member of the Skyline Soaring Club, which was based at FRR. A club member helped the pilot assemble his glider and complete a comprehensive positive flight control check. The club member said the flight control check (which included the divebrakes) was normal. The pilot told him that he planned to practice "speed control" in the traffic pattern. The glider's panel mounted radio was not working, so the pilot had to use a handheld radio. However, another club member who was monitoring the airport's common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) that afternoon as duty officer did not hear the pilot make any radio calls prior to the accident. According to club records, the pilot departed FRR about 1225. A third club member said that he and a passenger were flying in another glider when they caught up with the accident pilot while airborne. About 10-15 minutes prior to the accident, they flew a thermal together before the third club member and his passenger returned to FRR. The third club member said he encountered "a huge updraft" when he made a right turn from the downwind leg to base leg of the traffic pattern for runway 28. He said the updraft, which he estimated was about 10 kn
Probable cause
The pilot's exceedance of the glider’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering for landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent loss of control.
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Browse: Virginia
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
