Schleicher ASW-20 N34JH
9 April 1988 · Fairfield, Pennsylvania, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 9 April 1988 at about 18:00 local time, a Schleicher ASW-20 registered N34JH was involved in an accident near Fairfield, Pennsylvania, United States. 2 people were on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 18:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Fairfield, Pennsylvania, United States
- Coordinates
- 39.7806, -77.3596
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASW-20
- Registration
- N34JH
- Category
- Glider
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Fairfield → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC88LA125
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND OF N34JH TO SEE AND AVOID N311DP.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT OF N311DP STATED HE SAW N34JH COMING TOWARD HIS GLIDER, SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET HIGHER AND SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT. HE WATCHED THE GLIDER PASS BY AT AN ALT OF 3,000 FT. APRX 30 SECONDS TO 1 MINUTE AFTER HE SAW N34JH PASS BY, HE HEARD A LOUD BANG AND HIS GLIDER PITCHED UP. HIS SPOILERS DEPLOYED AS WELL AS HIS LANDING GEAR. HE RETRACTED HIS SPOILERS AND LANDING GEAR AND LANDED THE GLIDER UNEVENTFULLY. THE GLIDER, N34JH, WAS SEEN BY A WITNESS SPIRALING TO THE GROUND.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schleicher ASW-20 ASW-20 | N34JH | - | Destroyed |
| Schleicher ASW-20 ASW-20 | N311DP | - | Substantial |
Other Schleicher ASW-20 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Aug 1986 | Schleicher ASW-20 | Ionia, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jul 1986 | Schleicher ASW-20 | Hobbs, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Aug 1986 | Schleicher ASW-20 | Uvalde, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 19 Sep 1985 | Schleicher ASW-20 | New Castle, Virginia, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 7 Apr 1991 | Schleicher ASW-20 | Julian, California, United States | Ronald G. Rutiz | No injuries | - |
| 26 Sep 1992 | Schleicher ASW-20 | Middletown, California, United States | David C. Petersen | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Jun 1988 | Schweizer SGS-2-33 | Erwinna, Pennsylvania, United States | Country Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jun 1988 | Piper PA-28-140 | Lehighton, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 18 Jul 1988 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 | Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jul 1988 | Piper PA-28-140 | Smoketown, Pennsylvania, United States | Michael L. Kuhn | No injuries | - |
| 3 Jul 1988 | Champion 7ECA | Bally, Pennsylvania, United States | Elmer E. Kramer | No injuries | - |
| 1 Aug 1988 | Cessna 152 | Hillsville, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |