- Date
- August 17, 1986, 17:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ionia, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N12GHSchleicher ASW-20
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860817040589A
- Case key
- 13512
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to the plt, at approximately 20 miles south of Ionia county airport, Ionia, Michigan, he used frontal zone lift to climb to 4600 MSL (3800 AGL), and he encountered no further lift. The plt stated that he anticipated an increase in wind gradient during descent and while on a one mile final he still had visual confidence in making the airport. According to the plt, he then experienced severe sink and struck a bush and a large rock before coming to rest approximately 1/4 mile short of rwy 36 at Ionia county airport.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N12GH
- Reported as
- Schleicher ASW-20
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 20703
- Airframe hours
- 165
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Eldon G. Hammond
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 18, 1986
- Airport
- Y70 · Ionia County, runway 36, 4,125 × 400 ft, grass/turf
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 33,333 total · 3,333 in this make and model · 11,708 as pilot in command · 220 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GRR, 20 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.