Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Dansville Municiple Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Dansville, New York 14437
Saturday, August 25, 2012 15:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During the evening before the accident, the glider was assembled, and the pilot flew it for about 30 minutes uneventfully. On the day of the accident, after flying locally for about 3 hours, the glider was about 1 mile from the departure airport when witnesses reported that the glider started rolling back and forth into 90-degree banks. After three or four rolls, the glider descended nose-down to the ground and impacted a field in a flat attitude. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. About 3 years before the accident, the pilot underwent a procedure to repair an aneurysm of the ascending aorta combined with placement of a single vessel coronary artery bypass graft. He subsequently received a medical certificate and reported the surgery and that he was taking metoprolol (a beta blocker used to treat hypertension and prevent heart attacks), simvastatin (a cholesterol lowering drug), and lisinopril (a blood pressure medicine). Although the pilot’s medical certificate had expired about 1 month before the accident, he was not required to possess a current medical certificate as a glider pilot. Before the accident flight, the pilot remarked to a friend that he was not feeling well. The friend added that the day was very hot and that the pilot did not drink water before the flight or bring any water with him. Autopsy results indicated that there was no evidence to suggest any direct effect of the pilot’s cardiovascular disease (heart attack) in his ability to control the glider. Toxicological testing revealed levels of diphenhydramine in the pilot’s blood that were well above therapeutic levels. Diphenhydramine is a sedating antihistamine used to treat allergy symptoms and as a sleep aid. It is probable that the cognitive and psychomotor impairment caused by diphenhydramine contributed to the pilot’s loss of control in this accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
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.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/25/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1530 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Dansville |
| Event State | NEW YORK |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 14437 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 423442N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0774321W |
| Event Location Airport | Dansville Municiple Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | DSV |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 655 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1554 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 160 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DSV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 655 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| 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) | 31 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 210 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.18 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 33135 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Eastern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 16 2014 3:15PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N438AS |
| NTSB Number | ERA12LA528 |
| 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 | SCHLEICHER |
| Aircraft Model | ASW-19 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 19230 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 890 |
| Aircraft Category | Glider |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| 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 | Aug 18 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 3 |
| Airframe Hours | 1162 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WORLD ON A STRING INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | ROCHESTER |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 14614-1924 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | James J Rizzo |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Fairport |
| Operator State | NY |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 14450 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | DSV |
| Departure City | Dansville |
| Departure State | NY |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1230 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | DSV |
| Destination City | Dansville |
| Destination State | NY |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 16 2014 3:31PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 14 |
| Runway Length | 3500 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |