- Date
- June 23, 2004, 16:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Sparks, NV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2874HSchweizer 1-35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 1, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20040623015959A
- Case key
- 59493
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 misjudgment of altitude and distance resulting in an undershoot of the runway.
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 glider landed short of runway and impacted terrain. While turning onto base leg of the traffic pattern, the pilot noticed a significant decrease in ground speed, which he attributed to being the result of a strong headwind. Just before turning onto final approach, about 400 feet agl, the glider experienced an increase in sink rate and a decrease in airspeed (about 5 to 10 knots indicated airspeed). He lowered the nose in an effort to increase the airspeed and counteract the sink, but the glider continued toward the ground. Just before impacting the ground in a nose low attitude, the pilot pulled back on the stick in an effort to pitch the nose up and cushion the impact. The glider collided with terrain in a flat attitude. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions of failures with the aircraft.
Factual narrative
On June 23, 2004, about 1645 Pacific daylight time, a Schweizer 1-35, N2874H, landed short of the runway at the Air Sailing Gliderport, Sparks, Nevada. The pilot was operating the glider under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The airline transport pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The local personal flight originated from Sparks about 1420. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had not been filed.
In a written statement, the pilot reported that he was attempting to land on runway 35. With an indicated airspeed (IAS) of about 60 knots, the pilot entered the downwind leg of the traffic pattern about 600 feet above ground level (agl). While turning on base leg, he noticed a significant decrease in ground speed, which he attributed to being the result of a strong headwind. He noted the windsock, located on the north end of the field, indicated calm wind conditions.
The pilot further noted that just before turning onto final approach, about 400 feet agl, the glider experienced an increase in sink rate and a decrease in airspeed (about 5 to 10 knots IAS). He lowered the nose in an effort to increase the airspeed and counteract the sink, but the glider continued toward the ground. Just before impacting the ground in a nose low attitude, the pilot pulled back on the stick in an effort to pitch the nose up and cushion the impact. The glider collided with terrain in a flat attitude. As a result of the impact, the glider's canopy shattered, a wing bent, and the fuselage was damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions of failures with the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2874H
- Reported as
- Schweizer 1-35
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 54
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Michael Spielman
- Registered owner
- Dave Prather and Robert Spielman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- NV23 · Sparks, NV
- Destination
- NV23 · Sparks, NV
- Airport
- NV23 · Air Sailing Gliderport, runway 35
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
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Military, Commercial, Private, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Flight hours
- 2,543 total · 3 in this make and model · 43 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.