Schleicher ASW-19 accident near Dansville, NY
On August 25, 2012, a Schleicher ASW-19 (glider) was involved in an accident near Dansville, NY. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 25, 2012
- Place
- Dansville, NY
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASW-19 · Glider
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 42.578°N, 77.722°W
- NTSB ID
- 20120826X51643
Official records · ERA12LA528
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn August 25, 2012, about 1530 eastern daylight time, a Schleicher ASW-19 glider, N438AS, sustained substantial damage when it collided with terrain in Dansville, New York. The commercial pilot received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight originated from the Dansville Municipal Airport (DSV), Dansville, New York, about 1230. The pilot owned the glider and based it at DSV. He was also a member of Finger Lakes Soaring (FLS), which was based at DSV. Two witnesses observed the accident. The first witness was working at a facility near the airport. He reported that he was watching the glider perform large circles. The glider then started rolling, "back and forth from one wing to another." After three or four rolls, the glider descended nose-down to the ground in a 90-degree bank attitude. The second witness was another member of FLS and was at the airport. He stated that he was standing near the front entrance of the clubhouse when he observed the glider about 1 mile north of the airport. The glider was in a 90-degree bank and flying west at a slow speed, about 30 knots. The glider then turned north and the bank seemed to decrease, but the glider descended into terrain. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot, age 66, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and glider. He also held a flight instructor certificate, with a rating for glider. His m
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain glider control while maneuvering. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s impairment due to an over-the-counter sedating antihistamine.
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Browse: New York · Schleicher aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
