Centrair 101A accident near Hartford, Wisconsin, July 3, 2015
On July 3, 2015 at about 4:44 pm local time, a 1984 Centrair 101A (glider), registered N39KG, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Hartford, Wisconsin (Hartford Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The glider pilot's failure to connect the elevator to the elevator control rod during the assembly process, resulting in a loss of control, and a collision with terrain during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 2015 · about 4:44 pm local time
- Place
- Hartford, Wisconsin · Hartford Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Centrair 101A A, built 1984 · all 101As on the register
- Registration
- N39KG · no longer on the register · serial 101A0130
- 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 during the glider assembly process, he was distracted several times, and did not connect the elevator to the elevator control rod. He reported that during the takeoff, while being towed by an airplane, there was an "abnormal pitch up." The pilot wrote that he was "rolling left, pitching up, and losing sight of the tow plane" and that he released the tow line. The glider bounced off the ground, impacted a tree line, and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings.
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
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Glider tow event during takeoff defining event
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Owner/builder
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Elevator control system › Incorrect service/maintenance
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Owner/builder
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine sea; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,875 hours in all; 2,016 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 10, 2013
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,021.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 3, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 1,003 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: HXF Hartford WI at 4:44 pm
- Destination: HXF Hartford WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,250 ft by 196 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,100 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 4:35 pm from KETB, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 GAA15CA177.