NTSB Factual Report

On September 24, 2015, about 1452 eastern daylight time, a Schempp-Hirth Ventus 2CT motorglider, N710JC, was substantially damaged when it impacted a wire and trees during an off-airport landing in Blacksburg, Virginia. The commercial pilot was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight, which originated from Virginia Tech/Montgomery Executive Airport (BCB), Blacksburg, Virginia. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to the pilot, he was flying in an annual soaring competition. He departed from BCB about 1215 with a tow up to an altitude of 2,500 feet, then released from the tow plane. He subsequently performed a routine test run of the 20-horsepower engine and observed no anomalies. He then shut down and stowed the engine before beginning the first leg of the competition. About 20 miles from BCB, he had difficulty finding thermals for lift. The glider began losing altitude and he prepared for an off airport landing. He deployed the glider's retractable engine; however, as he attempted to start the engine, it "sputtered" and would not run. In a post accident statement, he postulated that he held the decompression valve open long enough for the engine to build rpm, but was not sure due to the circumstances of being low and preparing for an off airport landing. He set up for landing in a field, but did not see the power lines bordering the approach end of the field, and contacted the wires before impacting the ground.

According to a witness, they heard the motorglider fly over and "the engine was loud and seemed to be struggling or missing. It did not sound normal."

The pilot reported 2,500 hours of total flight experience and 255 of those hours were in the same make and model as the accident motorglider. He held a commercial pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. The pilot's last flight review was on May 2, 2015. He did not have a medical certificate, nor was he required to when operating a glider.

Examination of the wreckage at the accident site by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the motorglider struck a wire and trees and impacted the ground in a nose down attitude. The forward fuselage was crushed, and the right wing was fractured and separated about one-third span from the wing tip. The fuel shut off valve and the fuel pump switch were in the off position.

The 1455 recorded weather observation at BCB, located about 7 nautical miles southwest of the accident site, included wind from 100 degrees at 8 knots, visibility 10 statute miles clear skies, temperature 23 degrees C, dew point 12 degrees C; barometric altimeter setting of 30.28 inches of mercury.

NTSB Probable Cause

A loss of thermal lift during a motor glider flight, which resulted in an off-airport landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from power lines during the off-airport landing attempt.