- Date
- September 22, 1990, 18:40 local (Sep 23, 1990, 01:40 UTC)
- Place
- Truckee, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N567DAGlaser-Dirks DG 400/17
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900922042229A
- Case key
- 26592
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 uncommanded deployment of the right spoiler system due to the absence of a spring pin not fitted to the quick disconnect as recommended which resulted in the pilot losing control of the glider during a critical phase of flight.
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 pilot of a self launched powered glider performed an operational check of the spoiler prior to landing. The right hand spoiler remained deployed after retraction resulting in an asymmetrical lift condition. The pilot was unable to maintain control of the aircraft and collided with the ground short of the runway. The control quick disconnect spring pin had not been fitted into the control hole as recommended which resulted in the quick disconnect to the spoiler disconnecting from the right hand spoiler rod end ball.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N567DA
- Reported as
- Glaser-Dirks DG 400/17
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 4-39
- Airframe hours
- 365
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Donald Ray Antelman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 6, 1990 · 9 hours before
- Airport
- TRK · Truckee-Tahoe, runway 19, 4,650 × 75 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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 552 total · 365 in this make and model · 515 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.