Glaser-Dirks DG-300 accident near Minden, NV
On April 11, 1997, a Glaser-Dirks DG-300 (glider) was involved in an accident near Minden, NV. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 11, 1997
- Place
- Minden, NV
- Aircraft
- Glaser-Dirks DG-300 · Glider
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 39.010°N, 119.751°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X07737
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 11, 1997, exact time unknown, an experimental Glaser-Dirks DG-300 glider, N70644, impacted terrain 8 miles east of the Douglas County Airport, Minden, Nevada. The private pilot was fatally injured and the aircraft was destroyed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area personal flight which was towed aloft from the Douglas County Airport at 1210 hours mountain daylight time. The aircraft was towed aloft to 8,000 feet msl (2,800 feet agl) and released. This was the last contact with the aircraft. When the aircraft did not return at the scheduled time, the operator notified the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and an alert notice was issued. The wreckage was located about 1100 the next morning. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The 54-year-old private pilot added a glider rating to his certificate on April 14, 1996, and logged 30 hours of total glider time. He also had about 145 additional hours in single engine powered aircraft, with about 46 of those hours accumulated in the prior year. According to the operator, after issuance of his glider rating, the pilot returned home to Illinois and had flown very little glider time in the ensuing year prior to returning to the operator's school in April 1997. According to the pilots logbook, on April 6, 1997 he flew three dual flights in a Grob 103 glider. On April 7, 1997, he flew two dual flights in the Grob 103. On April 8, 1997, he flew three solo flights in a Grob 102, and on April 10 he flew one solo flight in the Grob 102. All the flights totaled about 5 hours, and the April 10th entry
Probable cause
loss of aircraft control for undetermined reason(s), inadequate design of the canopy jettison system, and incapacitation of the pilot, when he was struck by the canopy frame during a jettison sequence.
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
