- Date
- April 8, 2022, 16:10 local (23:10 UTC)
- Place
- Valyermo, CA · High desert mountainous terrain
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N212NMAlexander Schleicher ASK 21
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Loss of lift
- 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
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20220408005169A
- Case key
- 104927
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 gliders encounter with atmospheric conditions where the lift was not sufficient to maintain flight and subsequent impact with mountainous terrain.
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 pilot of the glider reported that, while in thermal flight, he made a turn to the south to follow a ridgeline. Before he reached the top of the mountain, the glider experienced a loss of lift. To compensate, he maneuvered the glider away from terrain and encountered additional sink. While maneuvering the glider toward lower terrain, the right-wing tip struck a tree. The glider struck additional trees before it impacted terrain and came to rest between two trees. The glider sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N212NM
- Reported as
- Alexander Schleicher ASK 21 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Glider, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 21947
- Built
- 2018
- Airframe hours
- 432.67
- Engine
- Na, none
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Southern California Soaring Academy, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Southern California Soaring Academy, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 25, 2022
- Departed
- 46CN · Llano, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 78
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Last flight review
- July 19, 2020
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 509 total · 177 in this make and model · 108 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KPMD, 22 nm away
- METAR
- KPMD 082253Z AUTO 28005KT 10SM CLR 31/M11 A3000 RMK AO2 SLP137 T03111106 $
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 30, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.