NTSB CAROL · Event
Event WPR10CA389
Registry · N315BA
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
ICON AIRCRAFT INC A5
Year of manufacture
2022
Engine
ROTAX 912 IS (100 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20221206
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A3597E
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot’s inability to make it to the airport as a result of his inadequate planning for the gusting headwinds.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that after a normal release about 2 miles north of the airport at 3,000 feet, he turned the glider south towards the airport. Approximately 1 mile from the airport the glider encountered strong winds from the south and it entered a high rate of descent with minimal forward motion. The pilot determined the glider would not make the airport and he executed an off-airport landing. During landing, the right wing struck a bush and the glider ground looped, substantially damaging its wings and fuselage. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe prior to the accident. An airport located about 9 miles to the east of the accident airport indicated at the time of the accident wind was from 180 degrees at 11 knots gusting to 16 knots. The pilot reported that after a normal release about 2 miles north of the airport at 3,000 feet, he turned the glider south towards the airport. Approximately 1 mile from the airport the glider encountered strong winds from the south and it entered a high rate of descent with minimal forward motion. The pilot determined the glider would not make the airport and he executed an off-airport landing. During the landing, the right wing struck a bush and the glider ground-looped, substantially damaging its wings and fuselage. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe prior to the accident. An airport located about 9 miles to the east of the accident airport indicated at the time of the accident wind was from 180 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 16 knots. 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).
- — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Contributed to outcome
- C Personnel issues-Task performance-Planning/preparation-Weather planning-Pilot - C
- — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Terrain-(general)-Contributed to outcome
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2010_WPR10CA389.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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