Amateur-built DISCUS CS accident near Pomfret, Vermont, July 3, 2018
On July 3, 2018 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 2003 amateur-built DISCUS CS (glider), registered N1122Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Pomfret, Vermont. It was an air show or air race 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
The glider pilot’s selection of an unsuitable landing area, which resulted in a collision with a ditch during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 2018 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Pomfret, Vermont · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DISCUS CS No Series, built 2003
- Registration
- N1122Q · no longer on the register · serial 307CS
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Air show or air race flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the glider pilot, during a glider competition, he passed a "weak frontal system," and lift could not be sustained. He selected a large field for landing, established a traffic pattern, and accomplished a full-stall landing. However, during the landing roll on down-sloping terrain about 40 knots, the glider collided with a ditch. The glider sustained substantial damage to the tailboom. The pilot reported that there were no 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
- Other weather encounter during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of lift during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 3,457 hours in all; 347 in this make and model; 44 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 3,285 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 1, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 576 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 15, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,157 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Throttle Up Inc
The flight
- Departed from: VSF Springfield VT at 5:00 pm
- Destination: VSF Springfield VT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KLEB, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 11, 2018. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo | 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.