- Date
- June 14, 1998, 19:30 local (Jun 15, 1998, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Taos, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N94DPSchempp-Hirth Ventus CM
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 21, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980614024799A
- Case key
- 20662
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 pilot's improper flare. Contributing to the accident was the sudden wind shift which rendered the aircraft uncontrollable when the aircraft was on final approach to land.
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
During final approach for landing the 27 horsepower motor glider was subjected to winds which increased from 10 knots to 24 knots with gusts to 37 knots. The landing was hard, causing damage to the wings and bottom of the fuselage.
Factual narrative
On June 14, 1998, at 1930 mountain daylight time, a Schempp-Hirth, 27 horsepower motorized, Ventus CM glider, N94DP, sustained substantial damage during landing at Taos Municipal Airport, Taos, New Mexico. The commercial pilot and sole occupant was not injured. The flight was being operated under Title 14 CFR part 91 and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this personal flight which departed Taos at 1415.
According to the facility that is repairing the aircraft, both wings and the bottom side of the fuselage sustained substantial damage due to a hard landing. The occurrence was not classified as an accident until this assessment was completed on June 25, 1998.
According to the pilot, he returned to land at 1930 and the wind shifted while he was on final approach. The pilot said the wind also increased in velocity and as a result the touchdown was hard and he cut is head on the instrument panel.
Recorded wind during the time period of the accident was from 360 degrees magnetic heading at 24 knots with gusts to 37 knots. The landing was being conducted on runway 04.
According to the pilot of a Beach Baron, who landed just before the accident occurred, the winds were out of the north at less than 10 knots during his landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N94DP
- Reported as
- Schempp-Hirth Ventus CM
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 4
- Airframe hours
- 844
- Engine
- Solo 2350B/2004, 27 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Phillip J. Walsh
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 15, 1998 · 58 hours before
- Departed
- SKX
- Airport
- SKX · Taos Municipal, runway 4, 5,800 × 100 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
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 926 total · 281 in this make and model · 842 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 24 knots, gusting 37
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SKX, 1 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.