Minden Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Minden, Nevada 89423
Monday, August 29, 2005 9:55 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The glider collided with two parked gliders following a bounced landing. The accident flight was the student pilot's first flight in the accident glider make and model. Prior to his departure, the student pilot received a checkout in the glider from the flight school owner. The check out was approximately 10 minutes in duration. The student pilot was not shown how to operate the canopy latch. The canopy latch was not similar to the latch mechanism that the pilot used on the other glider that he had flown. The canopy was closed and the pilot did not check that it was locked prior to departure. The student pilot thought that the canopy locked into place once it was closed because there were springs on the latch. During the takeoff climb, as the tow airplane lifted the glider 300 feet above ground level, the canopy popped open. The student pilot reached up and grabbed the canopy. The student pilot attempted to hold down the canopy with his left arm and fly with his right hand. He then would remove his right hand from the control stick and attempt to latch the canopy, but the control forces from the airflow would not allow the latch to lock. After release from the tow airplane, the student pilot continued flying the glider holding down the canopy with his left arm and using his right hand to control the glider. He ensured that the landing pattern was clear and setup for landing. As he approached the runway, the glider was above its normal approach speed and the pilot released the canopy and partially applied the spoilers. The open canopy resulted in a drag condition and the glider sank rapidly and impacted the runway on its main wheel. The glider then bounced straight up approximately 200 hundred feet and the student pilot moved the stick forward to lower the nose, and in the second ground contact, impacted two gliders parked on the ramp. The student pilot had a total time of 35 hours in gliders, with 1.5 hours of solo flight. As required by 14 CFR 61.87 (c), the student pilot logbook was not endorsed by a certified flight instructor for solo flight in this model of glider.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

the student pilot's failure to ensure that the canopy was properly latched prior to departure. The inadequate supervision of the flight by the instructor and flight school was also causal.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/29/2005
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 955
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City Minden
Event State NEVADA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 89423
Event Date Year 2005
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 390001N
Event Location Longitude 1194502W
Event Location Airport Minden
Event Location Nearest Airport ID MEV
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 4718
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 956 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 340
Weather Observation Facility ID RNO
Elevation of weather observation facility 4415
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 30
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 29
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -2
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) --
Variable Wind Indicator Variable
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.92
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 19761
NTSB Notification Source FAA
NTSB Notification Date Aug 29 2005 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record May 30 2006 1:54PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\JOHB
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Federal Aviation Administration Reno FSDO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N925G
NTSB Number LAX05LA281
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau
Aircraft Model G102 Club Astir IIIB
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 5587
Certified Max Gross Weight 838
Aircraft Category Glider
Aircraft Registration Class --
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 1
Number of Engines 0
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jul 1 2005 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 105.9
Airframe Hours 5880.2
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Soar Minden, Inc.
Aircraft Owner Street Address PO Box 1764
Aircraft Owner City Minden
Aircraft Owner State NV
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 89423
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name --
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City --
Operator State --
Operator Country --
Operator Zip code --
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code MEV
Departure City Minden
Departure State NV
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 940
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code --
Destination City --
Destination State --
Destination Country --
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Mar 22 2006 6:25PM
User who most recently changed record COOS
Since inspection or accident Last Inspection
Event Location Runway Number and Location 30
Runway Length 5300
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --