History of Flight
On April 10, 2011, about 1445 eastern daylight time, a LET L33 Solo, N286BA, operated by the Blue Ridge Soaring Society, impacted terrain after taking off from New Castle International Airport (VA85), New Castle, Virginia. The private pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The glider was being towed by a Callair A-9. The tow pilot reported that during the ground roll and takeoff everything felt normal, but after takeoff they were not climbing as expected. He saw the glider was out of position with its air brakes open. He made a radio call but got no response. The glider was well off to the left and below, pulling the tow plane's tail down. The tow pilot felt a "huge pull" aft and the tow rope broke.
Witness Observations
A witness on the ground saw the glider just after lift-off with wings wobbling and low altitude. She thought it wouldn't clear trees. She saw the glider fly erratically, then climb steeply until the tow line broke, then roll and descend steeply. Another pilot inbound saw the glider far left of normal position, then both aircraft flying erratically. He saw the glider pull away, clear trees, then left wing drop and enter a spin, impacting vertically. Another pilot on the ground saw the glider abruptly pitch up after a slight left turn, then release and enter a stall/spin. A fifth witness who helped prepare the launch noted the glider had been assembled previously, and the pilot conducted a preflight and positive control check. During takeoff roll, wings dropped, then the glider zoomed up above trees and descended.
Aircraft Information
The glider, a LET L33 Solo, had a latest annual inspection on September 18, 2010, at 1,106 hours. The last flight before the accident was on April 3, 2011. The glider had remained assembled on the airport.
Pilot Information
The pilot, age 69, held a private pilot certificate with a glider rating. His logbook indicated about 90 total flight hours. He completed a biennial flight review on October 2, 2010, and a club check on April 3, 2011. The instructor who conducted the club check noted the pilot was above average in "boxing the wake" and displayed good situational awareness.
Airport and Meteorological Information
New Castle International Airport has a single turf runway 18/36, 2,400 feet long and 100 feet wide, elevation 1,320 feet. The nearest weather station at Roanoke Regional Airport, 12 nautical miles southeast, recorded at 1454: few clouds at 5,000 feet, visibility 10 miles, winds from 100 degrees at 7 knots.
Wreckage and Impact Information
All flight control surfaces were accounted for; limited continuity verification due to damage. No preexisting mechanical anomalies noted. The onboard radio was on. The broken tow rope arrived with the glider, broken near the weak link nearest the tow plane. Examination at a storage facility confirmed control continuity within wings and fuselage; both air brakes moved freely after straightening bent metal. The nose was crushed consistent with a 60-70 degree nose-down attitude at impact.
Medical and Toxicological Information
An autopsy listed cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries, and noted arteriolonephrosclerosis. Toxicological testing detected ranitidine and valsartan, used for heartburn and high blood pressure, respectively. The NTSB Chief Medical Officer stated both drugs are acceptable for airman use without side effects. The pilot's physician confirmed prescriptions for valsartan, ranitidine, and flunisolide; also bumetanide, which was stopped due to complaints of lightheadedness and twitching on March 30, 2011.