Distar Cz As D 13/15 SUN DANCER accident near Boulder City, NV
On February 24, 2022, a Distar Cz As D 13/15 SUN DANCER (glider) was involved in an accident near Boulder City, NV. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- February 24, 2022
- Place
- Boulder City, NV
- Aircraft
- Distar Cz As D 13/15 SUN DANCER · Glider
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.930°N, 114.884°W
- NTSB ID
- 20220225104703
Official records · WPR22FA109
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn February 24, 2022, about 1340 Pacific standard time, a Distar CZ AS Sun Dancer motorglider, N588V, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Boulder City, Nevada. The pilot was fatally injured. The glider was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. An employee of the fixed base operator (FBO) at Boulder City Municipal Airport (BVU), Boulder City, Nevada, the departure airport, reported that “something was off” with the accident pilot’s demeanor, and, although his speech was clear, “he still seemed a little woozy.” Recorded automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) and L3Harris' OpsVue data showed that the glider departed from BVU about 13:15 local, on a westerly heading, climbed to 2,850 ft mean sea level (msl) and entered a left turn. The glider continued the left climbing turn to an altitude of 3,100 ft msl, then began descending on an easterly heading until contact was lost about 13:19 local, at an altitude of 2,375 ft msl, about 1 mile northwest of the accident site. A witness located near the accident site reported that, while performing duties as a site foreman at the solar panel farm near the airport, she observed the glider circling above the solar panel farm at low altitude. The glider’s height appeared to vary from about the top of the power lines to slightly higher. The glider’s engine sounded like it was operating normally, and she did not hear any irregularities, such as backfiring or popping. Shortly after returning to work, she observed black smoke south of the solar panel farm. At
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from powerlines while maneuvering, which resulted in a wire strike and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s impairment from alcohol consumption and his use of diphenhydramine before the flight.
More accidents in NV
- Cessna 425, Jan 12, 1992
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Browse: Nevada
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
