Pipistrel Apis-Bee accident near Columbia, South Carolina, October 21, 2021
On October 21, 2021 at about 2:38 pm local time, a 2021 Pipistrel Apis-Bee (glider), registered N812DS, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Columbia, South Carolina (Jim Hamilton L B Owens airport). 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 failure to maintain control of the glider during the landing approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent impact with the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 21, 2021 · about 2:38 pm local time
- Place
- Columbia, South Carolina · Jim Hamilton L B Owens · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pipistrel Apis-Bee, built 2021
- Registration
- N812DS · no longer on the register · serial 052ABF33
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, this was the first flight he made in the glider. He performed the first landing with the engine up and idling, and then during the second time around the traffic pattern, he stowed the engine during the downwind leg. When he turned the glider onto the base leg of the traffic pattern, he realized that he was “coming in high,” so he extended the airbrakes. He thought the glider needed a “little more help” descending, so he put the glider into a side slip. The pilot slipped the glider two more times, and on the third slip, the nose of the glider “dropped,” and it impacted the runway in a nose down position, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the glider revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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 control in flight during landing defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private, sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 770 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Hirth F33 BS (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Runway 13/3, 5,011 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from CUB
Weather report (METAR): KCUB 211453Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 21/16 A3020 RMK AO2 SLP226 T02110156 50001
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on December 30, 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 | Memorandum for Record - No Pilot/operator Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - Pilot's Account of Accident | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record - Glider Examination by Recovery Personnel | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Investigative Photograph | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.