What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 13, 1999, at 1320 hours pacific daylight time, a ab sportine aviacija genesis 2, N240BG, collided with terrain following an uncontrolled descent immediately after takeoff at Minden, Nevada. The commercial glider pilot, the sole occupant and owner/operator of the aircraft, sustained fatal injuries. The glider was destroyed in the impact sequence. The purpose of the flight was to practice for an upcoming glider competition. The personal flight was being conducted under CFR part 91 of the federal aviation regulations when the accident occurred. A flight plan was not filed for the local flight and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. According to witnesses, as the glider began the takeoff roll, the horizontal stabilizer fell off the aircraft as soon as it began to roll. One eyewitness said he immediately called the pilot of the towing aircraft and told him to release the towrope. Approximately 100 feet AGL, the glider pilot reportedly released the towrope and the glider dove toward the ground and came to rest inverted. A federal aviation administration inspector from the reno, Nevada, flight standards district office, responded to the site and examined the glider. The horizontal stabilizer was found on the runway near where the glider began the takeoff roll. (.4)the glider pilot was practicing for an upcoming glider competition. He usually had his wife help him assemble the glider. This day he had sent her out for radio batteries and when she returned he had already assembled the horizontal stabilator to the vertical tail section. A short while later the pilot indicated he was ready to fly the glider. As the tow plane began to tow the glider, the wife held the wing. As she released the wing, she said she heard a noise and observed the horizontal stabilator lying on the runway as it had fallen off the aircraft. The wife immediately ran over to a man standing nearby who had a radio, and told him to contact her husband on the radio and tell him to release the aircraft from the tow plane. She watched the man transmit the message to the glider pilot, without success. The aircraft left the runway, climbed to approximately 100 feet AGL, and nosed over and crashed into the runway. Postaccident investigation of the glider pilot's handheld radio determined it was incorrectly set to the wron g freqency. Additionally, examination of the vertical stabilator revealed that stabilator was improperly installed prior to the accident flight. (-23)on the beginning of takeoff roll on runway 34, while under tow during air raee trails, the horizontal stabilator fell off of the experimental exhibition glider. The takeoff was continued. The glider released the tow approximately 100 feet above the runway. The glider nosed into the runway,causing fatal injuries to the pilot of the glider. privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 13, 1999, AT 1320 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A AB SPORTINE AVIACIJA GENESIS 2, N240BG, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN FOLLOWING AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF AT MINDEN, NEVADA. THE COMMERCIAL GLIDER PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT AND OWNER/OPERATOR OF THE AIRCRAFT, SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE GLIDER WAS DESTROYED IN THE IMPACT SEQUENCE. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO PRACTICE FOR AN UPCOMING GLIDER COMPETITION. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER CFR PART 91 OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT AND VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, AS THE GLIDER BEGAN THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER FELL OFF THE AIRCRAFT AS SOON AS IT BEGAN TO ROLL. ONE EYEWITNESS SAID HE IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE PILOT OF THE TOWING AIRCRAFT AND TOLD HIM TO RELEASE THE TOWROPE. APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AGL, THE GLIDER PILOT REPORTEDLY RELEASED THE TOWROPE AND THE GLIDER DOVE TOWARD THE GROUND AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR FROM THE RENO, NEVADA, FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE, RESPONDED TO THE SITE AND EXAMINED THE GLIDER. THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WAS FOUND ON THE RUNWAY NEAR WHERE THE GLIDER BEGAN THE TAKEOFF ROLL. (.4)THE GLIDER PILOT WAS PRACTICING FOR AN UPCOMING GLIDER COMPETITION. HE USUALLY HAD HIS WIFE HELP HIM ASSEMBLE THE GLIDER. THIS DAY HE HAD SENT HER OUT FOR RADIO BATTERIES AND WHEN SHE RETURNED HE HAD ALREADY ASSEMBLED THE HORIZONTAL STABILATOR TO THE VERTICAL TAIL SECTION. A SHORT WHILE LATER THE PILOT INDICATED HE WAS READY TO FLY THE GLIDER. AS THE TOW PLANE BEGAN TO TOW THE GLIDER, THE WIFE HELD THE WING. AS SHE RELEASED THE WING, SHE SAID SHE HEARD A NOISE AND OBSERVED THE HORIZONTAL STABILATOR LYING ON THE RUNWAY AS IT HAD FALLEN OFF THE AIRCRAFT. THE WIFE IMMEDIATELY RAN OVER TO A MAN STANDING NEARBY WHO HAD A RADIO, AND TOLD HIM TO CONTACT HER HUSBAND ON THE RADIO AND TELL HIM TO RELEASE THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE TOW PLANE. SHE WATCHED THE MAN TRANSMIT THE MESSAGE TO THE GLIDER PILOT, WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE AIRCRAFT LEFT THE RUNWAY, CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AGL, AND NOSED OVER AND CRASHED INTO THE RUNWAY. POSTACCIDENT INVESTIGATION OF THE GLIDER PILOT'S HANDHELD RADIO DETERMINED IT WAS INCORRECTLY SET TO THE WRON G FREQENCY. ADDITIONALLY, EXAMINATION OF THE VERTICAL STABILATOR REVEALED THAT STABILATOR WAS IMPROPERLY INSTALLED PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. (-23)ON THE BEGINNING OF TAKEOFF ROLL ON RUNWAY 34, WHILE UNDER TOW DURING AIR RAEE TRAILS, THE HORIZONTAL STABILATOR FELL OFF OF THE EXPERIMENTAL EXHIBITION GLIDER. THE TAKEOFF WAS CONTINUED. THE GLIDER RELEASED THE TOW APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY. THE GLIDER NOSED INTO THE RUNWAY,CAUSING FATAL INJURIES TO THE PILOT OF THE GLIDER. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.