20090116001219A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Glaser DG-400 · Hilo, HI · January 16, 2009

Date: January 16, 2009 · 13:00 local
Place: Hilo, HI
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N777WN
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR09FA089
Reported as: Glaser DG400
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 15,000 total100 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days

N777WNRegistration cancelled Jun 13, 2013 · Glaser-Dirks DG-400S/N 4-116 Airframe modelGlaser-Dirks DG-400

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.

Pilot was attempting to attain an altitude record for a glider by riding on a mountain wave. The pilot was on oxygen and last reported climbing through 28,000’ MSL. Wreckage was found over a large debris field on the side of mouna loa volcano. Strong winds of 45+ knots were forecast for the area.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO ATTAIN AN ALTITUDE RECORD FOR A GLIDER BY RIDING ON A MOUNTAIN WAVE. THE PILOT WAS ON OXYGEN AND LAST REPORTED CLIMBING THROUGH 28,000’ MSL. WRECKAGE WAS FOUND OVER A LARGE DEBRIS FIELD ON THE SIDE OF MOUNA LOA VOLCANO. STRONG WINDS OF 45+ KNOTS WERE FORECAST FOR THE AREA.

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 WPR09FA089Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportVolcano, HIThe pilot's loss of pitch control and subsequent exceedance of the glider's airspeed limit for undetermined reasons.Jan 16, 2009 · Destroyed