- Date
- May 20, 1991, 19:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Annville, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N107GHGeorge E Heide, JR. Moni Motorglider
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910520022339A
- Case key
- 36753
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 pilot's intentional landing on unsuitable terrain due to a loss of altitude precipitated by a downdraft.
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 was on final approach in his motorized glider when he experienced a sudden loss of altitude due to a downdraft, which placed him below the elevated threshold of the runway and approximately 5 feet above the terrain. He applied power in an attempt to 'make the runway,' but 'cut the power and flared into the bushes at the runway embankment' when he was unable to gain enough altitude.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N107GH
- Reported as
- George E Heide, JR. Moni Motorglider (MONI MOTOR)
- Category
- Glider, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 100
- Engine
- Kea 107E, 25 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gerhard Hoffmann
- Registered owner
- Gerhard Hoffmann
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · October 17, 1990
- Departed
- N71 · Donegal Springs, PA
- Airport
- N76 · Millard, runway 11, 2,850 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 200 total · 120 in this make and model · 180 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.