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20000521006969A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Amtr PIK-30 · Minden, NV · May 21, 2000

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 21, 2000 · 14:50 local
Place
Minden, NV
Airport
Douglas County Airport
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N30PK
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX00LA201
Reported as
Amtr PIK30
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
2,000 total
N30PKRegistered now · Issoire Siren PIK-30S/N 719 · Built 1985Airframe modelIssoire Siren PIK-30Engine modelBombardier ROTAX (ALL)Reciprocating

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.

(-23) A power (retractalbe roatx engine), N30PX, lost lift approximately 2 miles east of the Minden, NV. Airport (mev). The piolot, wayne martin, attempted to make it to runway 30 but landed short. The glider landed in sage brush, traveled 60 yards where it hit a fence. The glider went through the fence and traveled another 30 yards before coming to a stop. A tow plane pilot, who witnessed the accident, stated he saw the engine extended as if the pilot was going to start it but when the glider came to rest the engine was stowed back in the fuselage. (.4)while returning to land at the airport, witnesses saw the glider make a shallow approach, and touchdown outside of the airport perimeter fence. The glider became airborne and flew through a five-strand barbed wire fence. The top two strands broke the canopy and struck the pilot. Compilation of witness interviews revealed that the glider appeared too low for a normal flight pattern, and they did not think that the glider would make it back to the runway. They saw it descend to the ground approximately 50 yards short of the runway and collide with the fence. An inspection of the glider revea led no preimpact anomalies. The engine was also inspected with no discrepancies noted. A GPS unit found onboard the glider was removed and downloaded; no information was available on the unit.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) A POWER (RETRACTALBE ROATX ENGINE), N30PX, LOST LIFT APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES EAST OF THE MINDEN, NV. AIRPORT (MEV). THE PIOLOT, WAYNE MARTIN, ATTEMPTED TO MAKE IT TO RUNWAY 30 BUT LANDED SHORT. THE GLIDER LANDED IN SAGE BRUSH, TRAVELED 60 YARDS WHERE IT HIT A FENCE. THE GLIDER WENT THROUGH THE FENCE AND TRAVELED ANOTHER 30 YARDS BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. A TOW PLANE PILOT, WHO WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT, STATED HE SAW THE ENGINE EXTENDED AS IF THE PILOT WAS GOING TO START IT BUT WHEN THE GLIDER CAME TO REST THE ENGINE WAS STOWED BACK IN THE FUSELAGE. (.4)WHILE RETURNING TO LAND AT THE AIRPORT, WITNESSES SAW THE GLIDER MAKE A SHALLOW APPROACH, AND TOUCHDOWN OUTSIDE OF THE AIRPORT PERIMETER FENCE. THE GLIDER BECAME AIRBORNE AND FLEW THROUGH A FIVE-STRAND BARBED WIRE FENCE. THE TOP TWO STRANDS BROKE THE CANOPY AND STRUCK THE PILOT. COMPILATION OF WITNESS INTERVIEWS REVEALED THAT THE GLIDER APPEARED TOO LOW FOR A NORMAL FLIGHT PATTERN, AND THEY DID NOT THINK THAT THE GLIDER WOULD MAKE IT BACK TO THE RUNWAY. THEY SAW IT DESCEND TO THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 50 YARDS SHORT OF THE RUNWAY AND COLLIDE WITH THE FENCE. AN INSPECTION OF THE GLIDER REVEA LED NO PREIMPACT ANOMALIES. THE ENGINE WAS ALSO INSPECTED WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. A GPS UNIT FOUND ONBOARD THE GLIDER WAS REMOVED AND DOWNLOADED; NO INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE ON THE UNIT.

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 LAX00LA201Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportMinden, NVThe pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision to attempt to make it back to the runway for landing after experiencing a loss of lift and not maintaining a proper descent rate.May 21, 2000 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N30PK · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19950618020679AFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Dayton, NVImpacted mountainous terrain on glider meet. Was cranking out engine to stabize flight. Blamed downdraft.Jun 18, 1995 · Substantial damage