Eiriavion Oy PIK-20D accident near Benton, Tennessee, January 20, 2023
On January 20, 2023 at about 1:40 pm local time, a 1978 Eiriavion Oy PIK-20D (glider), registered N1NZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Benton, Tennessee. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to turn toward a mountain ridge in a thermal, which resulted in a collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 20, 2023 · about 1:40 pm local time
- Place
- Benton, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Eiriavion Oy PIK-20D, built 1978 · all PIK-20Ds on the register
- Registration
- N1NZ · no longer on the register · serial 20607
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The glider pilot reported that the day was a “good ridge day” and about 45 minutes into the flight he saw two large birds flying in a thermal. He attempted to enter the same thermal that the birds were in, turning towards a mountain ridge, the same direction the birds were circling. The pilot was carried out of the thermal and entered an area of sinking air which resulted in the glider impacting the ridge. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: glider; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 26,300 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 15,000 as pilot in command; 300 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 23, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,172.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 27, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,102 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: None (none); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 92A Benton TN at 1:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 pm from MMI, 7 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KMMI 201915Z AUTO VRB05KT 10SM CLR 10/M02 A3014 RMK A01
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 June 15, 2023. 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 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photographs | 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.
Other NTSB records under N1NZ the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.