- Date
- February 24, 1990, 13:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Orland, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N123MRI.C.A. Brasov 2902.11.01.001 Lark
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900224002589A
- Case key
- 26745
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 pilots loss of aircraft control due to the likelihood of experiencing an epileptic seizure. A factor which may have contributed to the accident was the pilot's ingestion of an anticonvulsant drug that causes drowsiness.
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
After a tow release the glider was observed doing turns, stalls and recoveries which appeared normal. It was then observed heading straight down rotating about its longitudinal axis. The pilot was reportedly an epileptic subject to seizures. Toxicological analysis revealed the drug carbamazepine present in the blood and urine samples at therapeutic levels. The drug is an anticonvulsant which can result in drowsiness.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N123MR
- Reported as
- I.C.A. Brasov 2902.11.01.001 Lark (2902.11.01)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 76
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Joiner, James
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Departed
- 037
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
- 53
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 50 total · 50 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °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.