- Date
- April 9, 1988, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fairfield, PA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19880409071571A19880409071572A
- Case key
- 36134
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
Failure of the pilot-in-command of N34JH to see and avoid N311DP.
Failure of the pilot-in-command of N34JH to see and avoid N311DP.
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-in-command of N311DP stated he saw N34JH coming toward his glider, several hundred feet higher and slightly to the right. He watched the glider pass by and was level at 3000 feet MSL and indicating 60 knots. Approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute after he saw N34JH npas by, he heard a loud bang and his glider pitched up. His spoilers deployed as well as his landing gear. He retracted his spoilers and landing gear and landed the glider uneventfully. The glider N34JH was seen by a witness spiraling to the ground.
The pilot of N311DP stated he saw N34JH coming toward his glider, several hundred feet higher and slightly to the right. He watched the glider pass by at an alt of 3,000 ft. aprx 30 seconds to 1 minute after he saw N34JH pass by, he heard a loud bang and his glider pitched up. His spoilers deployed as well as his landing gear. He retracted his spoilers and landing gear and landed the glider uneventfully. The glider, N34JH, was seen by a witness spiraling to the ground.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N34JH
- Reported as
- Schleicher ASW-20
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 20354
- Airframe hours
- 415
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Walter W. Bogie
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 12, 1988 · 9 hours before
- Departed
- Fairfield, PA
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
- N311DP
- Reported as
- Schleicher ASW-20
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 20831
- Airframe hours
- 203
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David H. Pixton
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 5, 1987 · 41 hours before
- Departed
- Fairfield, PA
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 N34JH
- Age
- 67
- Certificate
- Private
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 731 total · 731 in this make and model · 701 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N311DP
- Age
- 42
- Certificates
- Private, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 667 total · 203 in this make and model · 633 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 345° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 34 °F
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.