- Date
- July 5, 2017, 12:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ely, NV
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N31MXAlexander Schleicher ASH 31 MI
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 22, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170705015259A
- Case key
- 95505
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 failure to maintain the proper airspeed and his exceedance of the glider’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in a stall/spin.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The glider pilot reported that, while maneuvering about 10,000 ft mean sea level he "lost control," and the glider went into a spin, followed by a spiral. He added that he egressed from the glider, deployed his parachute, and was later rescued. The glider impacted terrain and was destroyed. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The glider pilot reported that while maneuvering about 10,000 ft. mean sea level he "lost control" and the glider went into a spin, followed by a spiral. He added that he egressed from the glider, deployed his parachute, and was later rescued. The glider impacted terrain and was destroyed. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N31MX
- Reported as
- Alexander Schleicher ASH 31 MI (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 31003
- Built
- 2010
- Airframe hours
- 567
- Engine
- Diamond AE50R, 56 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 9, 2017
- Departed
- ELY · Ely, NV
- Destination
- ELY · Ely, NV
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Electronic primary flight display
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
- 67
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 12, 2016
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,127 total · 362 in this make and model · 3,127 as pilot in command · 123 in the last 90 days · 92 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.28 inHg
- Observed at
- KELY, 4 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 22, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.