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| Date: | Friday 6 December 2024 |
| Time: | 12:40 |
| Type: |  Schleicher ASW 24 |
| Owner/operator: | Treasure Coast Soaring Club |
| Registration: | N244RW |
| MSN: | 24010 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near New Hibiscus Airpark (X52), Vero Beach, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | New Hibiscus Airpark, FL (X52) |
| New Hibiscus Airpark, FL (X52) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
On December 6, 2024, about 1240 eastern standard time, a Schleicher ASW 24 glider, N244RW, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Vero Beach, Florida. The pilot was fatally injured. The glider was owned by a local soaring club and was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot was a seasonal member of the Treasure Coast Soaring Club based at New Hibiscus Airpark (X52), Vero Beach, FL. According to club members, the glider departed X52 about 1140 for a local flight. After about 1 hour, the glider approached the airport at about 1,000 ft above ground level (agl) to enter the left downwind leg of the traffic pattern for runway 36. They further reported that the glider appeared to get “too slow” as it approached the traffic pattern then entered a stall/spin. The glider recovered from the spin about 50 ft agl, then pitched up and entered a second stall/spin. The glider descended in a nose-down attitude and impacted a grass median between a divided highway about 1/2-mile northwest of X52.
Members of the club further stated that the accident flight was the pilot’s first flight after recently completing his familiarization training in the high performance single-seat glider.
The on-scene examination revealed the glider came to rest in an upright position near the center of the grass median, and all major components of the glider were accounted for at the accident site. The cockpit area was fragmented and displaced upward. The right wing was separated about midspan with aft deformation noted to the leading edge of the separation area. An impact scar was observed on the ground about 3 ft in front of the right wing. The tail section was fractured and displaced to the right. Impact damage was noted to the elevator and horizontal stabilizer. The right aileron control tube was fractured at the wing separation area. The elevator control rod remained attached to its aft attach point and was separated at the aft fuselage separation area. Flight control continuity was established to the cockpit area except where impact separations were located.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://cbs12.com/news/local/1-dead-after-glider-style-plane-crashes-in-vero-beach-new-hibiscus-airpark-indian-river-county-fatal-state-road-60-friday-december-6-2024
https://www.wptv.com/news/treasure-coast/region-indian-river-county/fatal-flight-1-dead-after-glider-style-plane-crashes-in-indian-river-county
https://www.sebastiandaily.com/traffic/single-fatality-plane-crash-in-vero-beach-74770/
NTSB
https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N244RW
https://wingsandwheels.com/media/catalog/product/cache/33eed5a9055abe5aea5699a4a062285a/6/7/672728IMG_2337_4.JPG (photo)
Location
Media:
NTSB investigating the Dec. 6 crash of an Experimental Schleicher AS24 glider near Vero Beach, Florida.
— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) December 6, 2024
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Dec-2024 08:17 | Captain Adam | Added |
| 07-Dec-2024 09:51 | RobertMB | Updated [Operator, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Category, ] |
| 08-Dec-2024 21:19 | Captain Adam | Updated [Operator, Nature, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ] |
| 08-Dec-2024 21:20 | Captain Adam | Updated [Narrative, ] |
| 09-Dec-2024 15:16 | ASN | Updated [Registration, Cn, Operator, Source, ] |
| 09-Dec-2024 15:19 | RobertMB | Updated [Registration, Cn, Operator, Phase, Nature, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 09-Dec-2024 15:22 | RobertMB | Updated [Source, ] |
| 31-Dec-2024 19:14 | Captain Adam | Updated [Time, Operator, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report, ] |
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