Schleicher ASK21 accident near Hinckley, Illinois, September 29, 2020
On September 29, 2020 at about 6:50 pm local time, a Schleicher ASK21 (glider), registered N721WC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Hinckley, Illinois (Hinckley Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper control input during a bounced landing that resulted in the glider impacting terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 29, 2020 · about 6:50 pm local time · cases in 2020
- Place
- Hinckley, Illinois · Hinckley Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASK21 NO SERIES · all ASK21s on the register
- Registration
- N721WC · registry record · serial 21650
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and passenger were landing after their second flight of the day. The pilot reported that during the landing he flared late, and the glider touched down on the main landing gear and bounced back into the air. The pilot pushed the control stick forward and the glider impacted the runway on its nose wheel resulting in substantial damage to the left side of the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,273 hours in all; 77 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 14, 2019
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,121 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2020; 3,121 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Windy City Soaring Association
The flight
- Departed from: 0C2 Hinckley IL at 6:10 pm
- Runway 27, 2,640 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; scat at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 1:52 pm from KARR, 8 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KARR 291852Z 26012KT 10SM SCT023 BKN030 13/08 A2985 RMK AO2 SLP111 T01280078
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on July 14, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation, FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photographs | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N721WC on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Schleicher ASK-21 43 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Schleicher 506 aircraft on the register
- Capitol Drive Airport · nearest airport
- Hinckley Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Illinois 2,118 since 1982 · 251 in the last ten years
- Illinois 8,070 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN20LA427.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.