No fatalities

5 Jul 2017: ALEXANDER SCHLEICHER GMBH & CO ASH 31 MI NO SERIES — Ely, NV

Ely, NV, United States

On 5 Jul 2017, an ALEXANDER SCHLEICHER GMBH & CO ASH 31 MI NO SERIES was involved in an aviation accident near Ely, NV. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to maintain the proper airspeed and his exceedance of the glider’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in a stall/spin. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A glider pilot lost control at 10,000 feet while maneuvering, causing a spin and spiral. The pilot deployed a parachute and was rescued; the aircraft was destroyed. No mechanical issues were reported.

Accident Overview

While maneuvering at approximately 10,000 feet mean sea level, the pilot of a glider reported that he "lost control" of the aircraft. The glider entered a spin, followed by a spiral descent.

Pilot Actions

The pilot subsequently egressed from the glider, deployed his parachute, and was later rescued. No injuries were reported in the source.

Damage and Investigation

The glider impacted terrain and was destroyed. According to the pilot's statement, there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation. The investigation did not identify any specific cause for the loss of control.

Contributing factors

Capability exceededPilotAirspeed — Not attained/maintained