- Date
- April 10, 1993, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Wenatchee, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7DZRolladen-Schneider LS4A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930410014089A
- Case key
- 43010
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
Misjudged weather evaluation. Factors include high winds encountered on approach.
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 glider pilot stated that he continued his flight when other pilots reported a large area of cumulus development with virga and rain moving toward the airport. He elected to extend his flight for a period of time, then on his return to the airport, winds and rain increased in the vicinity of the airport. About a half mile from landing, he decided that he would be unable to make the field, and landed in a small field short of the runway. The nose of the aircraft impacted on an upslope and a large rock broke through the fuselage, causing substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7DZ
- Reported as
- Rolladen-Schneider LS4A
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 4337
- Airframe hours
- 848
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Northcraft, Stephen A.
- Registered owner
- Northcraft, Stephen A.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 13, 1993 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- EAT
- Destination
- EAT
- Airport
- EAT · Pangborn Field, runway 29, 5,500 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,500 total · 635 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.