- Date
- July 5, 1987, 14:50 local (18:50 UTC)
- Place
- Springfield, VT
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N54MSMcculloch Monerai "S"
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 24, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870705033989A
- Case key
- 30453
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 monerai 's' (N54MS, a pwrd glider) experienced an inflt failure of the left wing spar & crashed. An investigation revealed the acft was being operated in excess of its max gross wt limit of 450 lbs. The plt of an unpowered monerai said he & 3 others (including the plt of N54MS) were flying in a thermal when he noted a sudden, sharp 'up-gust.' He described this 'up-gust' as being stronger than any he had ever experienced in 5 yrs of flying his glider. He had seen N54MS in the same thermal, but was not observing it when the acdnt occurred. A ground witness saw N54MS descending out of control with the appearance of both wings pointing upward. A metallurgical exam revealed the left wing spar had failed from overload.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N54MS
- Reported as
- Mcculloch Monerai "S" (MONERAI "S)
- Category
- Glider, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 0006
- Airframe hours
- 255
- Engine
- Zenoah, 18 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Garland J. Mcculloch
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 12, 1987 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- MHT · Manchester, NH
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
- 61
- Certificate
- Private
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 285 total · 225 in this make and model · 225 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 25 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.