- Date
- December 10, 1989, 14:00 local (Dec 11, 1989, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Haleiwa, Oahu, HI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N25601Bryce Duster BJ-1B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891210049519A
- Case key
- 26524
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 separation in flight of the vertical wood fin from the main structure. It was not determined if the separation was due to overload forces or fatigue.
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 pilot heard a loud bang and lost directional control while entering downwind over the ocean. He was unable to maintain altitude and ditched into the water. Examination of the aircraft indicated the vertical fin had broken off in flight and was not recovered. The attachment point to the vertical fin wood structure had wood fibers exposing straight upwards. Control continuity was established with the rest of the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N25601
- Reported as
- Bryce Duster BJ-1B
- Category
- Glider, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 137
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kaala Soaring
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 29, 1989
- Departed
- HDH · Haleiwa, HI
- Airport
- HDH · Dillimgham Airfield
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
- 40
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 650 total · 250 in this make and model · 650 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 20 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.