OpenAirDocs.org

19970724045749A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Schler ASW20F · Minden, NV · July 24, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
July 24, 1997 · 17:08 local
Place
Minden, NV
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N120MJ
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX97LA258
Reported as
Schler ASW20F
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,702 total1,015 in this make and model56 in the last 90 days
N120MJRegistration cancelled Jul 19, 2011 · Centrair ASW20FS/N 20188Airframe modelCentrair ASW20FEngine modelNONENone

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.19) On July 24, 1997, at 1708 hours pacific daylight time, a centrair ASW20F glider, N120MJ, collided with the ground while attempting to land in a field about 8 miles south of the Minden, Nevada, airport. The aircraft was owned and operated by the pilot and was participating in a race competition event. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The glider sustained substantial damage. The private pilot, the sole occupant, incurred serious injuries. The flight originated from Minden on the day of the accident at 1332 for the closed circuit time over distance competition. In his written statement, the pilot said that as he was returning to Minden he encountered strong turbulence and downdrafts, and concluded he would not be able to safely reach the airport. He selected a field, and, as he got closer, realized that he had too much energy for a straight-in and not enough for a pattern. The pilot said he then deployed some drag devices and began making s-turns. The glider encountered a downdraft and touched down hard with a very high sink rate. Ground witnesses reported that very gusty winds existed at the time of the landing. An fa a airworthiness inspector examined the glider and noted that no discrepancies were found. (.4) the pilot of a glider said that as he was returning to the airport, he encountered strong turbulence and downdrafts, and concluded that he would not be able to safely reach the runway. He selected a field, and as he got closer, realized that he had too much energy for a straight-in approach and not enough for a pattern. The pilot said he then deployed some drag devices and began making s-turns. Reportedly, the glider encountered a downdraft and touched down hard with a very high sink rate. Ground witnesses reported that very gusty winds existed at the time of the landing. An FAA airworthiness inspector examined the glider and noted that no discrepancies were found.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON JULY 24, 1997, AT 1708 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CENTRAIR ASW20F GLIDER, N120MJ, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND IN A FIELD ABOUT 8 MILES SOUTH OF THE MINDEN, NEVADA, AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT AND WAS PARTICIPATING IN A RACE COMPETITION EVENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE GLIDER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, INCURRED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM MINDEN ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT AT 1332 FOR THE CLOSED CIRCUIT TIME OVER DISTANCE COMPETITION. IN HIS WRITTEN STATEMENT, THE PILOT SAID THAT AS HE WAS RETURNING TO MINDEN HE ENCOUNTERED STRONG TURBULENCE AND DOWNDRAFTS, AND CONCLUDED HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SAFELY REACH THE AIRPORT. HE SELECTED A FIELD, AND, AS HE GOT CLOSER, REALIZED THAT HE HAD TOO MUCH ENERGY FOR A STRAIGHT-IN AND NOT ENOUGH FOR A PATTERN. THE PILOT SAID HE THEN DEPLOYED SOME DRAG DEVICES AND BEGAN MAKING S-TURNS. THE GLIDER ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT AND TOUCHED DOWN HARD WITH A VERY HIGH SINK RATE. GROUND WITNESSES REPORTED THAT VERY GUSTY WINDS EXISTED AT THE TIME OF THE LANDING. AN FA A AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE GLIDER AND NOTED THAT NO DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND. (.4) THE PILOT OF A GLIDER SAID THAT AS HE WAS RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT, HE ENCOUNTERED STRONG TURBULENCE AND DOWNDRAFTS, AND CONCLUDED THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SAFELY REACH THE RUNWAY. HE SELECTED A FIELD, AND AS HE GOT CLOSER, REALIZED THAT HE HAD TOO MUCH ENERGY FOR A STRAIGHT-IN APPROACH AND NOT ENOUGH FOR A PATTERN. THE PILOT SAID HE THEN DEPLOYED SOME DRAG DEVICES AND BEGAN MAKING S-TURNS. REPORTEDLY, THE GLIDER ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT AND TOUCHED DOWN HARD WITH A VERY HIGH SINK RATE. GROUND WITNESSES REPORTED THAT VERY GUSTY WINDS EXISTED AT THE TIME OF THE LANDING. AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE GLIDER AND NOTED THAT NO DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX97LA258Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMinden, NVthe pilot's improper planning/decision and subsequent encounter with gusty winds and strong downdrafts, which precluded reaching the airport and induced an unrecoverable high sink rate during an off-airport landing.Jul 25, 1997 · Substantial damage