Amateur-built Schreder accident near Ionia, Michigan, September 5, 2009
On September 5, 2009 at about 5:30 pm local time, a amateur-built Schreder (glider), registered N161HP, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Ionia, Michigan (Ionia County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot failed to maintain control of the glider during the aero-tow launch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 5, 2009 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ionia, Michigan · Ionia County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Schreder
- Registration
- N161HP · registry record · serial EAK03
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the amateur-built glider was a few feet higher than it should be in relation to the tow airplane after liftoff, so he attempted to lower the glider. He expected the ground effect to slow his descent rate, but the glider continued to descend. He put in aft stick but the wheel contacted the turf at the same time. The glider then bounced and he put in forward stick pressure. The glider hit the runway hard and the pilot released the tow line. The inspection of the aircraft revealed that the glider’s fuselage had separated from the forward section of the glider during the hard landing resulting in substantial damage. The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure of the aircraft prior to the occurrence.
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
What happened, in order
- Glider tow event during takeoff defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
- Aircraft structural failure during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 67 hours in all; 3 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 561 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 20, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 750 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Cadillac Soaring LLC
The flight
- Departed from: Y70 Ionia MI
- Destination: Y70 Ionia MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 4,300 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN09CA577.