NTSB ERA21LA266 — 2021-05-20 · Sterling, Massachusetts, United States

Current FAA registration · N65317

Make / Model: PILATUS B4-PC11
Year of manufacture: 1976 · 45 years old at event
Engine: NONE NONE
Seats / Engines: 3 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19760518
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A89A7A

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N65317 Pilatus B4-PC11 Minor

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s misjudged approach angle which resulted in impact with trees and terrain.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that once on final approach for the runway, he miscalculated his approach angle and found the glider low on altitude and airspeed. The glider then struck trees on the edge of the airport and impacted on the airport surface resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

— Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
— Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Identification/recognition-Pilot
— Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Descent/approach/glide path-Not attained/maintained

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2021_ERA21LA266.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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