- Date
- June 13, 1991, 11:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- Durango, CO
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N418CHSchempp-Hirth Ventus C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910613021699A
- Case key
- 18026
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The absence of thermal lift, the pilot's apprehension, and his lack of familiarity with the geographic area.
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
The pilot told witnesses he was unfamiliar with the area, had limited mountain flying expereince, was still uncomfortable flying his 3-year old high-performance sailplane, and needed to be more aggressive in his flying technique. On the day of the accident, the pilot appeared nevous and apprehensive. He instructed the tow pilot to fly north towards mountainous terrain and a distant thunderstorm. The pilot released himself at 8800 ft MSL, about 200-300 ft below the crest of the ridge. The tow pilot said soaring conditions in that area were 'poor with little lift.' When the sailplane failed to return. A search was initiated. The sailplane had struck aspen trees and crashed within 1.5 miles of the relase point.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N418CH
- Reported as
- Schempp-Hirth Ventus C
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 387
- Airframe hours
- 74
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Charles C. Henning
- Registered owner
- Charles C. Henning
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 7, 1991 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- CD82 · Durango, CO
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,100 total · 97 in this make and model · 15 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.