- Date
- September 2, 1990, 17:35 local (Sep 3, 1990, 00:35 UTC)
- Place
- California City, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N39285Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS-2C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900902037599A
- Case key
- 26653
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 decision to execute the rapid climbing turn maneuver at an insufficient airspeed. Contributing to this accident was the premature dumping of the glider's water ballast.
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 was participating in a round-robin soaring championship contest. When the glider was about 2 miles east of the finish line the pilot radioed that he was inbound. When the glider was about 1/4 of a mile east of the finish line witnesses observed its airspeed appeared to be less than normal. After crossing the finish line the glider entered into a climbing right turn. When the glider completed about a 180 degree turn, it stalled and entered into a spin. A glider pilot who overtook the accident glider reported that the accident pilot began to prematurely disperse his water ballast about 10 miles east of the airport finish line.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N39285
- Reported as
- Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS-2C
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 194
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Latour, John F., Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- L71
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Expired
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 269 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.