# NTSB investigations, WA: Loss of lift

NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports.

## Latest cases

- [NTSB WPR25LA177](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA177.md): Rolladen Schneider LS-7WL · Tonasket, WA · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jun 11, 2025 · N78AW · Substantial damage
  > The glider’s encounter with atmospheric conditions where the lift was not sufficient to maintain flight.
- [NTSB WPR22LA223](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22LA223.md): DG Flugzeugbau DG 1000S · Lake Chelan, WA · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jun 22, 2022 · N767SS · Substantial damage
  > The glider’s encounter with atmospheric conditions where the lift was not sufficient to maintain flight. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to overfly a suitable landing site which resulted in an off-field landing in a lake.
- [NTSB WPR21LA235](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR21LA235.md): HPH Glasflugel · Winthrop, WA · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jun 20, 2021 · N974CQ · Substantial damage
  > The glider’s encounter with atmospheric conditions where the lift was not sufficient to maintain flight.
- [NTSB WPR20CA151](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20CA151.md): Let L 33 Solo · Arlington, WA · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report · May 11, 2020 · N355BA · Substantial damage
  > The loss of lift while on final approach which resulted in a hard off-airport landing.
- [NTSB WPR19FA241](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR19FA241.md): Glaser Dirks DG 300 Elan · Wilkeson, WA · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Aug 25, 2019 · N300GG · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s delayed decision to land following a loss of thermal lift, which resulted in collision with trees during the landing approach.
- [NTSB WPR17FA107](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17FA107.md): Schleicher ASW 28 18E · Ephrata, WA · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · May 26, 2017 · N63KR · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain glider control while attempting to conduct an off-airport landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.
- [NTSB WPR15LA219](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR15LA219.md): Garlick UH1H · Walla Walla, WA · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jul 21, 2015 · N121PT · Destroyed
  > The helicopter’s reduction in aerodynamic lift while operating in variable wind conditions for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have…
- [NTSB GAA15CA062](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA15CA062.md): Issoire Siren PIK 30 · Deer Park, WA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · May 6, 2015 · N350BC · Substantial damage
  > A loss of lift, which precipitated a forced off airport landing, and collision with terrain.
- [NTSB WPR13LA217](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13LA217.md): Robinson R44 II · Pomeroy, WA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · May 2, 2013 · N442RN · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to ensure that the helicopter was properly loaded, which resulted in the helicopter being in excess of its maximum allowable gross weight and led to a loss of main rotor rpm on takeoff. Contributing to the accident were the ground…
- [NTSB WPR12CA288](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12CA288.md): Dg-Flugzeugbau DG-500MB · Richland, WA · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jun 24, 2012 · N505JL · Substantial damage
  > The failure of the spoilers to retract because the right wing spoiler’s lower plate became jammed, which resulted in the glider not having enough lift to make it to the runway surface.

## The whole list in SQL

Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS:

```sql
SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url
FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1
WHERE c."eventStateOrRegion" = 'WA' AND c."eventCountry" = 'USA'
  AND c."mKey" IN (SELECT s.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' s WHERE s."tier2Number" = '500' AND s.case_mkey IN (SELECT case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' WHERE "isDefiningEvent"))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/500/sequence?state=WA

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