20120607011021A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Schempp-Hirth STANDARD CIRRUS · Sparks, NV · June 7, 2012

Date
June 7, 2012 · 14:30 local
Place
Sparks, NV
Airport
Air Sailing Gliderport
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Collision
Midair collision
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N943SB
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR12LA250
Reported as
Schempp-Hirth Standard Cirrus
Reported engine
NONE NONE
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
179 total3 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days

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.

Both gliders launched from air Sailing NV23. Both gliders were in a descent while searching for lift. The gliders collided almost head on. Both are high performance and present a very small profile when viewed directly from the front.

As the FAA filed it

BOTH GLIDERS LAUNCHED FROM AIR SAILING NV23. BOTH GLIDERS WERE IN A DESCENT WHILE SEARCHING FOR LIFT. THE GLIDERS COLLIDED ALMOST HEAD ON. BOTH ARE HIGH PERFORMANCE AND PRESENT A VERY SMALL PROFILE WHEN VIEWED DIRECTLY FROM THE FRONT.

NTSB investigation

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