- Date
- June 13, 1990, 16:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hawthorne, NV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N90DMSchempp-Hirth Ventus B/16.6
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900613023389A
- Case key
- 41227
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 selection of unsuitable terrain for landing.
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.
On ground/water collision with object
Object - signFactor
Terrain condition - roadway/highwayFactor
Unsuitable terrain or takeoff/landing/taxi area - selectedCause
Analysis
The pilot of the shempp-hirth ventus sailplane elected to land on a highway, short of his distination in a competitive event. The sailplane struck roadside reflectors and sustained substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90DM
- Reported as
- Schempp-Hirth Ventus B/16.6 (VENTUS B/1)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 81
- Engine
- Unknown UNKNOWN, unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Richard T. Mockler
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- MEV · Minden, NV
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 3,050 total · 50 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °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.