Hph LTD 304CZ accident near Pikeville, Tennessee, October 4, 2014
On October 4, 2014 at about 4:45 pm local time, a 2001 Hph LTD 304CZ (glider), registered N304AK, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Pikeville, Tennessee. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of aerodynamic lift, which resulted in an off-airport landing and subsequent impact with a pole.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 4, 2014 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Pikeville, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hph LTD 304CZ, built 2001
- Registration
- N304AK · no longer on the register · serial 36-17
- 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 the glider had been aloft for about 30 minutes prior to experiencing a loss of lift. After selecting a field for an off-airport landing, the pilot maneuvered the glider towards the field, and upon touchdown, the left wing contacted a pole. The glider subsequently pivoted left and came to rest upright, resulting in substantial damage to the tail boom. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies of 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
- Loss of lift during maneuvering defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Attain/maintain not possible
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › (general) › (general) › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 19,500 hours in all; 180 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 12,000 as pilot in command; 1,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 8, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 312 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 10, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 992 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: APT Jasper TN
- Destination: APT Jasper TN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,600 ft; a few clouds
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KCSV, 21 miles away
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.
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.