As+ Ltd AC4 accident near Sparks, NV
On July 19, 2005, an As+ Ltd AC4 (glider) was involved in an accident near Sparks, NV. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- July 19, 2005
- Place
- Sparks, NV
- Aircraft
- As+ Ltd AC4 · Glider
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 39.871°N, 119.704°W
- NTSB ID
- 20050811X01227
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 19, 2005, about 1250 Pacific daylight time, an As+ Ltd. AC4 (glider), N9276Y, impacted level terrain at Air Sailing Gliderport (NV23), Sparks, Nevada. The private glider pilot/owner operated the glider under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The glider was destroyed. The pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area flight that departed NV23 about 1230. No flight plan had been filed. A deputy from the Washoe County Sheriff's Department interviewed the certified flight instructor (CFI) of the accident pilot. The CFI reported that the accident pilot had been at NV23 for the past 10 days and had participated in a 5-day beginning cross-country glider pilot course. He observed her glider takeoff about 10-15 minutes prior to the accident. The tow was normal and the release was estimated about 7,100 feet. He overheard a partial radio transmission where the pilot reported that she was returning to the airport for landing. The CFI reported that the glider was about 500 feet above the ground, which he stated was high for a landing at this airport. He then saw the glider begin to make S-turns to lose altitude. The CFI observed that the airbrakes on the wings were "about half open." On the second or third S-turn, about 200 feet above the ground, the glider made a steep left turn, and the left wing dropped. The nose of the glider dropped and descended in a nose down attitude where it impacted the ground and came to rest inverted. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) accident coordinator in
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while performing S-turns on final approach, which resulted in a stall and uncontrolled descent into terrain. A contributing factor in the accident was the pilot's impairment due to ingestion of an over-the-counter sedating antihistamine.
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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.
