- Date
- May 12, 1991, 14:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Pearblossom, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N210TDGlasflugel Mosquito
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910512015269A
- Case key
- 27205
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 failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed to avoid stalling the aircraft.
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 certificated private glider pilot was returning to land at his departure airport and was observed on a left base approach about 100 to 200 feet above the ground. The glider was flying slowly and as a left turn was initiated to a final approach heading, the aircraft was observed to shudder and stall. The glider then descended vertically into a peach orchard striking trees and the ground. The pilot was fatally injured and the glider destroyed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N210TD
- Reported as
- Glasflugel Mosquito
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 51
- Airframe hours
- 373
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Richard J. Wojslaw
- Registered owner
- Richard J. Wojslaw
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 20, 1991 · 1 hours before
- Airport
- L01 · Crystal
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 106 total · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.