- Date
- September 20, 1996, 15:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Truckee, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19960920034351A19960920034352A
- Case key
- 29567
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 inadequate visual outlook by both pilots while in the vicinity of the airport. A factor was that each aircraft was on a different frequency at the time.
The inadequate visual lookout by both pilots while in the vicinity of the airport. A factor was that each aircraft was on a different frequency at the time.
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 Aero Commander 690, N840DC, collided with the Grob 102 glider, N22ZB, while climbing through 10,000 feet msl 4 miles south of the airport. The Aero Commander pilot had announced his departure on runway 28 on the unicom frequency of 122.8 Mhz while taxiing. After departing, the pilot turned left and was heading southeast in a climb. The glider had departed the airport about 1 hour earlier via aero tow and was orbiting left in a thermal. The glider pilot was monitoring the frequency 123.3 Mhz, an air-to-air frequency used by glider pilots. Moments before the collision, the Aero Commander pilot was tuning a navigation radio. He looked up and saw the glider in his windshield, but was unable to avoid the collision. The glider pilot never saw the Aero Commander. The left wing of the Aero Commander struck the left wing and fuselage of the glider about 9,800 feet msl. Both pilots were able to safely land their airplanes at the Truckee Airport after the collision.
The Aero Commander 690, N840DC, collided with the Grob 102 glider, N22ZB, while climbing through 10,000 feet msl 4 miles south of the airport. The Aero Commander pilot had announced his departure on runway 28 on the unicom frequency of 122.8 Mhz while taxiing. After departing, the pilot turned left and was heading southeast in a climb. The glider had departed the airport about 1 hour earlier via aero tow and was orbiting left in a thermal. The glider pilot was monitoring the frequency 123.3 Mhz, an air-to-air frequency used by glider pilots. Moments before the collision, the Aero Commander pilot was tuning a navigation radio. He looked up and saw the glider in his windshield, but was unable to avoid the collision. The glider pilot never saw the Aero Commander. The left wing of the Aero Commander struck the left wing and fuselage of the glider about 9,800 feet msl. Both pilots were able to safely land their airplanes at the Truckee Airport after the collision.
Factual narrative
On September 20, 1996, at 1545 hours Pacific daylight time, an Aero Commander 690, N840DC, collided with a Grob 102 glider, N22ZB, while climbing through 10,000 feet msl in the vicinity of Truckee, California. Both aircraft sustained substantial damage and neither pilot was injured. The Aero Commander was being operated by Dempsey Construction Corporation of Ketchum, Idaho, as a business flight. The Grob 102 was operated by Soar Truckee and rented by the pilot for a local area personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.
The Aero Commander pilot announced his departure on runway 28 while taxiing on the unicom frequency of 122.8 Mhz at the Truckee Airport. After departing the pilot turned left and was heading southeast in a climb. The glider departed the Truckee Airport about 1 hour earlier via aero tow and was orbiting left in a thermal in the vicinity of Lookout Mountain about 4 miles south of the Truckee Airport. The glider pilot was monitoring the frequency 123.3 Mhz, an air-to-air frequency used by glider pilots. Moments before the collision, the Aero Commander pilot was tuning a navigation radio. He looked up and saw the glider in his windshield, but was unable to avoid the collision. The glider pilot never saw the Aero Commander.
The left wing of the Aero Commander struck the left wing and fuselage of the glider about 9,800 feet msl. Both pilots were able to safely land their airplanes at the Truckee Airport after the collision.
On September 20, 1996, at 1545 hours Pacific daylight time, an Aero Commander 690, N840DC, collided with a Grob 102 glider, N22ZB, while climbing through 10,000 feet msl in the vicinity of Truckee, California. Both aircraft sustained substantial damage and neither pilot was injured. The Aero Commander was being operated by Dempsey Construction Corporation of Ketchum, Idaho, as a business flight. The Grob 102 was operated by Soar Truckee and rented by the pilot for a local area personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.
The Aero Commander pilot announced his departure on runway 28 while taxiing on the unicom frequency of 122.8 Mhz at the Truckee Airport. After departing the pilot turned left and was heading southeast in a climb. The glider departed the Truckee Airport about 1 hour earlier via aero tow and was orbiting left in a thermal in the vicinity of Lookout Mountain about 4 miles south of the Truckee Airport. The glider pilot was monitoring the frequency 123.3 Mhz, an air-to-air frequency used by glider pilots. Moments before the collision, the Aero Commander pilot was tuning a navigation radio. He looked up and saw the glider in his windshield, but was unable to avoid the collision. The glider pilot never saw the Aero Commander.
The left wing of the Aero Commander struck the left wing and fuselage of the glider about 9,800 feet msl. Both pilots were able to safely land their airplanes at the Truckee Airport after the collision.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N840DC
- Reported as
- Aero Commander 690
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11661
- Airframe hours
- 3,687
- Engine
- Garrett TPE-331, 717 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Dempsey Construction
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 19, 1996 · 72 hours before
- Departed
- TRK · Truckee, CA
- Destination
- MMH · Mammoth Lakes, CA
- Airport
- TRK · Truckee-Tahoe Airport, runway 28, 7,000 × 100 ft
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.
- Registration
- N22ZB
- Reported as
- Burkhart Grob 102
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 1309
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Soar Truckee
- Registered owner
- Sebald, Leslie
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- TRK
- Airport
- TRK · Truckee-Tahoe Airport
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N840DC
- Age
- 62
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9,697 total · 4,112 in this make and model · 9,697 as pilot in command · 55 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N22ZB
- Age
- 34
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 93 total · 34 in this make and model · 47 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TRK, 4 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.