1200 G103 accident near Benton, Tennessee, October 14, 2005
On October 14, 2005 at about 8:40 pm local time, a 1200 G103 (glider), registered N381SL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Benton, Tennessee. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's misjudgment of distance and failure to maintain a visual look out during a forced landing resulting in an in flight collision with a guy wire and the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 14, 2005 · about 8:40 pm local time
- Place
- Benton, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- 1200 G103
- Registration
- N381SL · registry record · serial 3603
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was flying about 1200 feet above the ground when the glider lost thermal lift. He made a 270-degree turn towards an open area for an emergency landing. As the glider approached the emergency landing area, it was too high for a landing and was losing airspeed. The pilot then turn towards another field and said that he misjudged the distance to that landing area. As the pilot continued to maneuver for an emergency landing, the right wing tip collided with a guy wire on a power pole. The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the glider.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 412 hours in all; 412 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 92A Benton TN at 8:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from CHA, 38 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.