Centrair ASW20F N120MJ
25 July 1997 · Minden, Nevada, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 25 July 1997 at about 00:08 local time, a Centrair ASW20F registered N120MJ was involved in an accident near Minden, Nevada, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 00:08
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Minden, Nevada, United States
- Coordinates
- 39.0105, -119.7509
- Aircraft
- Centrair ASW20F
- Registration
- N120MJ
- Category
- Glider
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX97LA258
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
the pilot's improper planning/decision and subsequent encounter with gusty winds and strong downdrafts, which precluded reaching the airport and induced an unrecoverable high sink rate during an off-airport landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot of a glider said that as he was returning to the airport, he encountered strong turbulence and downdrafts, and concluded that he would not be able to safely reach the runway. He selected a field, and as he got closer, realized that he had too much energy for a straight-in approach and not enough for a pattern. The pilot said he then deployed some drag devices and began making S-turns. Reportedly, the glider encountered a downdraft and touched down hard with a very high sink rate. Ground witnesses reported that very gusty winds existed at the time of the landing. An FAA airworthiness inspector examined the glider and noted that no discrepancies were found.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Nov 1997 | Piper PA-23-250 | Carson City, Nevada, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 16 Oct 1997 | Mikoyan Mig MIG 15UTI | Reno, Nevada, United States | Howard A. Torman | Serious injuries | - |
| 19 Oct 1997 | Stinson AT-19 | North Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Garry C. Waite | No injuries | - |
| 24 Oct 1997 | Cessna 170B | Fernley, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Nov 1997 | Rodgers/Gaust RV-6 | Wellington, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Feb 1997 | Bell 206B | Mountain Spring, Nevada, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |