Event NYC97LA145

Factual narrative

On July 12, 1997, about 1635 Eastern Daylight Time, a Vickers-Slingsby T65A glider, N111XX, was substantially damaged during a hard landing at Grimes Airfield (8N1), Bethel, Pennsylvania. The certificated flight instructor received minor injuries. No flight plan was filed for the flight that departed Philadelphia Glider Council Airport (0PA0), Perkasie, Pennsylvania. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot reported that after about 4 hours of flight, he elected to land at Bethel due to a lack of updrafts. He put the gear down and "and began making preparations for landing. Upon reaching pattern altitude...I found myself in a nose down attitude, in what may have been a spin." He recovered from the maneuver, but lost significant altitude in the process. The pilot deployed the spoilers to land, and heard a warning alarm. Then the glider impacted the ground hard enough for the canopy to separate. After sitting for several minutes, the pilot exited the glider. In a statement, the pilot wrote that he felt "heat stress and physical fatigue...from working thermals as conditions weakened. Earlier termination of flight would have been prudent." The pilot reported that after about 4 hours of flight, he elected to land his glider at Bethel due to a lack of updrafts. He put the gear down and 'and began making preparations for landing. Upon reaching pattern altitude...I found myself in a nose down attitude, in what may have been a spin.' He recovered from the maneuver, but lost significant altitude in the process. He deployed the spoilers to land, and heard a warning alarm. Then the glider impacted the ground hard enough for the canopy to separate. After sitting for several minutes, the pilot exited the glider. The pilot later wrote that he felt 'heat stress and physical fatigue...from working thermals as conditions weakened. Earlier termination of flight would have been prudent.' Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12