Rolladen-Schneider LS-6B accident near Hinckley, Illinois, May 14, 2025
On May 14, 2025 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Rolladen-Schneider LS-6B (glider), registered N246GC, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Hinckley, Illinois (Hinckley 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’s failure to maintain control of the glider during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 2025 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hinckley, Illinois · Hinckley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rolladen-Schneider LS-6B · all LS-6Bs on the register
- Registration
- N246GC · registry record · serial 6193
- 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 he lost control of the glider during the first few seconds of the aerotow takeoff and the glider’s left wing contacted the ground. He stated that he released the glider from the tow airplane, but the glider cartwheeled. The pilot noted that he did not have a wing runner for the takeoff attempt. At the time of the accident the pilot reported that there was nothing mechanically wrong with the glider and that he had “poor airmanship” and was rushing in his flight preparations. The glider sustained substantial damage to the fuselage.
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
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,100 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 2,050 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 27, 2025
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,823 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 11, 2025
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09/2, 2,640 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,100 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.73 inHg
- Observation at 12:52 pm from KARR, 10 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KARR 141752Z 11003KT 8SM SCT041 27/16 A2973 RMK AO2 SLP063 T02670161 10267 20161 58013=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 11, 2025. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum - Pilot Interview | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photograph | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 CEN25LA177.