- Date
- October 6, 2020, 16:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Minden, NV · Airport
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N684KSSchleicher ASK21
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing area undershoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 102222
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 student pilot’s improper application of the airbrakes during final approach, which resulted in a landing area undershoot and subsequent hard, bounced landing.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The solo student pilot reported that he was landing the glider after an uneventful flight. During final approach, instead of closing the airbrakes, the student opened them further. Realizing his mistake, he then closed them; however, the glider lost altitude. Subsequently, the glider landed hard short of the runway, which resulted in the nosewheel penetrating the cockpit, and then bounced and landed nose first. Subsequently, the pilot lost directional control, and the glider exited the runway and came to a stop upright. The glider’s fuselage was substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N684KS
- Reported as
- Schleicher ASK21 (21219)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 21219
- Built
- 1984
- Airframe hours
- 7,581
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Media Stew LLC, doing business as High Sierra Pilots
- Registered owner
- Soar Sierra LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 7, 2020
- Departed
- KMEV · Minden, NV
- Airport
- MEV · Minden/Tahoe, runway 30, 5,299 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 29 total · 29 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- KMEV, 1 nm away