Schempp-Hirth DISCUS A N95KM
13 July 1998 · Bridgeport, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 13 July 1998 at about 23:00 local time, a Schempp-Hirth DISCUS A registered N95KM was involved in an accident near Bridgeport, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 23:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Bridgeport, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 38.2708, -119.3294
- Aircraft
- Schempp-Hirth DISCUS A
- Registration
- N95KM
- Category
- Glider
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Minden → Lone Pine
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX98LA234
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The failure of the pilot to maintain clearance with the trees while maneuvering to locate a thermal lift.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was flying low in a canyon with no thermal activity and attempted to gain lift by flying close to a ridge. The glider impacted a tree and the wings were torn off. The elevation at the accident site was approximately 7,700 feet msl. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction with the aircraft prior to the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Schempp-Hirth DISCUS accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Nov 1999 | Schempp-Hirth DISCUS A | Palmerton, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 28 Jan 2001 | Schempp-Hirth DISCUS CS | Wurtsboro, New York, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 10 Mar 2003 | Schempp-Hirth DISCUS-2B | Clermont, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Apr 1992 | Schempp-Hirth DISCUS BT | Julian, Pennsylvania, United States | Pioti Turosienski | Serious injuries | - |
| 9 May 2005 | Schempp-Hirth DISCUS 2B | Peoria, Arizona, United States | John H Weber | No injuries | - |
| 31 Jul 1991 | Schempp-Hirth DISCUS-B | Medina, Texas, United States | Atsushi Kodama | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Oct 1998 | Cessna 152 | Avalon, California, United States | Orange County Flight Center | Fatal | 1 |
| 5 Oct 1998 | Grumman TS-2A | Banning, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 15 Aug 1998 | North American NAVION | Salinas, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 21 Aug 1998 | Bell 206B | Salinas, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Aug 1998 | Robinson R22B | Ramona, California, United States | Civic Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 1998 | Aerospatiale SA316B | Porterville, California, United States | U.s. Dept. of the Interior | No injuries | - |