- Date
- February 26, 1989, 16:50 local (23:50 UTC)
- Place
- El Paso, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N91363I.C.A. Brasov IS-28B2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890226002579A
- Case key
- 22704
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 failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, while maneuvering to land in turbulent weather, which resulted in a stall/spin and subsequent collision with a tree and the ground. Turbulence was a factor.
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 plt stated that after about 25 min of flying in moderate turbulence, he decided to land. As he was turning from right base to final, he lost control of the glider & it entered a right spin. After 2 turns, he recovered from the spin & was leveling the glider, when it struck a tree & the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N91363
- Reported as
- I.C.A. Brasov IS-28B2
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 36
- Airframe hours
- 390
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- El Paso Soaring Society
- Registered owner
- El Paso Soaring Society
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 27, 1988 · 20 hours before
- Airport
- TX04 · West Texas, runway 26, 4,100 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 48
- Certificates
- Military, Foreign, Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 214 total · 44 in this make and model · 200 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 11 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 70 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ELP, 8 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.