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20120825018589A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Schleicher ASW-19 · North Dansville, NY · August 25, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 25, 2012 · 15:30 local
Place
North Dansville, NY
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N438AS
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA12LA528
Reported as
Schleicher ASW-19
Reported engine
NONE NONE
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
1,847 total
N438ASRegistration cancelled Jan 4, 2018 · Schleicher ASW-19S/N 19230 · Built 1978Airframe modelSchleicher ASW-19Engine 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.

On 8/25/2012 at approximately 1530 local time N438AS (ASW-19B) crashed approximately 0.5 miles north of the Dansville, NY airport (kdsv). Initially there was confusion between the FAA and the local authorities whether or not this was a hang glider accident or a glider accident. It was determined after additional reports came in to local authorities and the FAA that it was in fact a glider. After obtaining statements from witnesses of the accident and friends of the pilot involved in this accident the following took place: the pilot was towed into the air around 1230 local time in N438AS. The takeoff was observed, specifically by two people that have provided statements surrounding this accident, and noted as an unremarkable takeoff. This observation was from the south east side of kdsv. The pilot stayed in the air, soaring for approximately 3 hours. At approximately 1530 local time the pilot was observed (from the airport) approximately 1 mile north of kdsv in a right 90 degree bank heading west at just above treetop level on the approach end of runway 14. A split second later the glider rolled out heading in a northerly direction, away from the airport. The glider the disappeared below the tree-line, then a dust cloud was observed. Another report was made by a witness who observed N438AS "doing circles up in the air" the witness also observed the glider "swooping" from a higher altitude descending down towards the ground then climbing back up twice before "circling." This observation was made from outside a building adjacent to the crash site (just north of kdsv). The witness stated after seeing the glider do circles in the air, the glider started tipping back and forth from one wing to another, after about 3 or 4 side to side tips, the glider started falling towards the ground at a 90 degree angle. The witness stated the glider hit the ground nose first then the glider fell over to the side a little on its wing and then finally came to rest on the belly. After examining the accident scene and wreckage, the damage to the glider and ground scaring are consistent with an aircraft stalling/spinning prior to ground impact. After examining the accident scene and wreckage, it was noted that a bolt that held a battery in place (that powered the electrical equipment installed in the glider) which was installed behind the pilots' head, had sheared allowing the battery to move. The battery impacted the back of the pilots head causing trauma.

As the FAA filed it

ON 8/25/2012 AT APPROXIMATELY 1530 LOCAL TIME N438AS (ASW-19B) CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 0.5 MILES NORTH OF THE DANSVILLE, NY AIRPORT (KDSV). INITIALLY THERE WAS CONFUSION BETWEEN THE FAA AND THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES WHETHER OR NOT THIS WAS A HANG GLIDER ACCIDENT OR A GLIDER ACCIDENT. IT WAS DETERMINED AFTER ADDITIONAL REPORTS CAME IN TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND THE FAA THAT IT WAS IN FACT A GLIDER.AFTER OBTAINING STATEMENTS FROM WITNESSES OF THE ACCIDENT AND FRIENDS OF THE PILOT INVOLVED IN THIS ACCIDENT THE FOLLOWING TOOK PLACE: THE PILOT WAS TOWED INTO THE AIR AROUND 1230 LOCAL TIME IN N438AS. THE TAKEOFF WAS OBSERVED, SPECIFICALLY BY TWO PEOPLE THAT HAVE PROVIDED STATEMENTS SURROUNDING THIS ACCIDENT, AND NOTED AS AN UNREMARKABLE TAKEOFF. THIS OBSERVATION WAS FROM THE SOUTH EAST SIDE OF KDSV. THE PILOT STAYED IN THE AIR, SOARING FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS. AT APPROXIMATELY 1530 LOCAL TIME THE PILOT WAS OBSERVED (FROM THE AIRPORT) APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE NORTH OF KDSV IN A RIGHT 90 DEGREE BANK HEADING WEST AT JUST ABOVE TREETOP LEVEL ON THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 14. A SPLIT SECOND LATER THE GLIDER ROLLED OUT HEADING IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION, AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT. THE GLIDER THE DISAPPEARED BELOW THE TREE-LINE, THEN A DUST CLOUD WAS OBSERVED.ANOTHER REPORT WAS MADE BY A WITNESS WHO OBSERVED N438AS "DOING CIRCLES UP IN THE AIR" THE WITNESS ALSO OBSERVED THE GLIDER "SWOOPING" FROM A HIGHER ALTITUDE DESCENDING DOWN TOWARDS THE GROUND THEN CLIMBING BACK UP TWICE BEFORE "CIRCLING." THIS OBSERVATION WAS MADE FROM OUTSIDE A BUILDING ADJACENT TO THE CRASH SITE (JUST NORTH OF KDSV). THE WITNESS STATED AFTER SEEING THE GLIDER DO CIRCLES IN THE AIR, THE GLIDER STARTED TIPPING BACK AND FORTH FROM ONE WING TO ANOTHER, AFTER ABOUT 3 OR 4 SIDE TO SIDE TIPS, THE GLIDER STARTED FALLING TOWARDS THE GROUND AT A 90 DEGREE ANGLE. THE WITNESS STATED THE GLIDER HIT THE GROUND NOSE FIRST THEN THE GLIDER FELL OVER TO THE SIDE A LITTLE ON ITS WING AND THEN FINALLY CAME TO REST ON THE BELLY.AFTER EXAMINING THE ACCIDENT SCENE AND WRECKAGE, THE DAMAGE TO THE GLIDER AND GROUND SCARING ARE CONSISTENT WITH AN AIRCRAFT STALLING/SPINNING PRIOR TO GROUND IMPACT.AFTER EXAMINING THE ACCIDENT SCENE AND WRECKAGE, IT WAS NOTED THAT A BOLT THAT HELD A BATTERY IN PLACE (THAT POWERED THE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT INSTALLED IN THE GLIDER) WHICH WAS INSTALLED BEHIND THE PILOTS' HEAD, HAD SHEARED ALLOWING THE BATTERY TO MOVE. THE BATTERY IMPACTED THE BACK OF THE PILOTS HEAD CAUSING TRAUMA.

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 ERA12LA528Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportDansville, NYThe pilot’s failure to maintain glider control while maneuvering. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s impairment due to an over-the-counter sedating antihistamine.Aug 25, 2012 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N438AS · 1

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

Accident 19790524011329AFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Castroville, TXGlider pilot entered area of sink and was unable to return to the airport.May 24, 1979 · Substantial damage