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Atlas / NTSB / CEN20LA427

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event CEN20LA427

2020-09-29 Hinckley, Illinois, United States Airport · 02C None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N721WC

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

ALEXANDER SCHLEICHER GMBH & CO ASK 21

Year of manufacture

1997 · 23 years old at event

Engine

NONE NONE

Seats / Engines

2 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

20080422

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A9A93A

Registrant of record

WINDY CITY SOARING ASSOCIATION

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s improper control input during a bounced landing that resulted in the glider impacting terrain.

Factual narrative

The pilot and passenger were landing after their second flight of the day. The pilot reported that during the landing he flared late, and the glider touched down on the main landing gear and bounced back into the air. The pilot pushed the control stick forward and the glider impacted the runway on its nose wheel resulting in substantial damage to the left side of the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

  • Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Pitch control-Incorrect use/operation
  • Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incorrect action performance-Pilot
  • Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_CEN20LA427.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.