Event CHI01LA007

Factual narrative

On October 11, 2000, about 1515 central daylight time, a Schweizer SGS 2-33A, N2060T, piloted by a private pilot candidate with a pilot examiner aboard, sustained substantial damage on contact with terrain during a landing near Highland-Winet Airport (H07), near Highland, Illinois. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) private pilot checkride was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The private pilot candidate and FAA examiner were uninjured. The local flight originated from H07 about 1500. The pilot candidate stated, "[The examiner] and I were doing a pattern tow to 1000 feet when I released from tow and did a 360 [degree] right turn to enter the landing pattern. While doing the landing checklist I attempted to check the spoilers and was informed I had stuck spoilers. I turned the base leg too soon that I turned final too soon and too high[.] I tried to slip the aircraft but was still to high. After going down the runway it was evident that we were going to overshoot the runway. [The examiner] took the controls and attempted to do a 180 [degree] turn and said to watch the airspeed. We were still coming around with the right wing down[.] It caught a bank and ground looped the aircraft. We came to rest facing west. At that time we exited the aircraft and made sure we were not hurt." The examiner stated, "[The applicant] had failed his previous check on the landing area of operation. I told [the applicant] that I wanted to see a slip to a landing and we would simulate the spoilers/dive brakes were stuck in the closed position. The applicant turned base and final too high then failed to adequately slip the aircraft. When it became obvious to me that we were not going to be able to land on the runway I took controls and attempted a ninety-degree turn to land in a cleared field adjacent to the runway. While in the turn the right wing tip outrigger wheel struck the top of a low dike around the field causing us to ground loop and hit hard." At 1455, the Scott Air Force Base/MidAmerica Airport, near Belleville, Illinois weather was: Wind variable at 6 knots, visibility 7 statute miles, sky condition clear, temperature 21 degrees C; dew point -2; altimeter 30.34 inches of mercury. A glider sustained substantial damage on contact with terrain during a landing. The pilot candidate and FAA examiner were uninjured. The pilot candidate stated, "I turned the base leg too soon that I turned final too soon and too high[.] I tried to slip the aircraft but was still to high. After going down the runway it was evident that we were going to overshoot the runway. [The examiner] took the controls and attempted to do a 180 [degree] turn and said to watch the airspeed. We were still coming around with the right wing down[.] It caught a bank and ground looped the aircraft. We came to rest facing west. At that time we exited the aircraft and made sure we were not hurt." The wind was variable at 6 knots. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12