- Date
- July 16, 1988, 16:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Wellington, NV
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N14XZApplebay Zuni 2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 19, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880716026679A
- Case key
- 40728
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 plt (with only 13 hrs flt time in the hi performance sailplane) took off at 1330 PDT. Psn rprts with her gnd crew were normal until 1630, then another plt offered to relay messages. After ctcg her gnd crew, the otr plt tried calling her back at aprx 1645, but got no response. A search was initiated, the wreckage was fnd the next day at 0955, scatteredovr a wide area on mtn/hilly trrn. There was evidence of an in-flt breakup. The rgt wing had failed at the outboard end of the flap; the outboard portion was fnd aprx 500' west of the main wreckage. The left wing had failed in the same area& its main spar had failed at the wing root. Fractures were typical of positive overload with no preexisting fatigue. Horizontal stabilizer was fnd aprx 1/2 mi south of the main wreckage. There was evidence the plt had bailed out, but hadhit the gnd before the chute was fully deployed. The chute was last packed on 2/4/88. Towering cumulus clds were rprtd 34 mi west at lake tahoe. Another plt in the vcnty made a prcntry lndg due to tstm, rain, turbc, & gusty wind.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N14XZ
- Reported as
- Applebay Zuni 2
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 14
- Airframe hours
- 65
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Diane E. Weidenhammer
- Registered owner
- Stephaen D. Brown
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 7, 1988 · 19 hours before
- Departed
- MEV · Minden, NV
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
- 32
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 231 total · 13 in this make and model · 132 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TVL, 34 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.