CHI83LA179

Factual narrative

THE STUDENT PILOT HAD SPIRALED DOWN ON BASE TO FINAL APPROACH INSTEAD OF ENTERING A DOWNWIND LEG AS BRIEFED. AS THE STUDENT TURNED ON FINAL FOR RUNWAY 31, HE SAW AN AIRCRAFT THAT HAD DEPARTED RUNWAY 13 AND THOUGHT A HAZARD EXISTED. WITNESSES REPORTED THERE WAS NO HAZARD. THE STUDENT WAS HIGH ON FINAL, BUT TOO LOW FOR A 360 DEGREE TURN. HE NOSED THE GLIDER OVER AND USED SPOILERS, BUT DURING LEVELOFF, HE RETRACTED THE SPOILERS. THE GLIDER BOUNCED AND RAN OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY INTO A DIRT BANK. THE DIRT BANK HAD BEEN MADE BY A COAL COMPANY AND HAD BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR 10-12 YEARS.ATTEMPTS BY THE AIRPORT AUTHORITIES TO HAVE THE DIRT HAZARD REMOVED HAD BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. REPORTEDLY, RUNWAY 31 SLOPED UPHILL WITH A 70 FT INCLINE OVER ITS LENGTH. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12