Schleicher ASW-20 N39DG
19 September 1985 · New Castle, Virginia, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 19 September 1985 at about 21:45 local time, a Schleicher ASW-20 registered N39DG was involved in an accident near New Castle, Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.
The record
- Date
- at 21:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- New Castle, Virginia, United States
- Nearest airport
- New Castle Int'l (VA85)
- Coordinates
- 37.5003, -80.1091
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASW-20
- Registration
- N39DG
- Category
- Glider
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- New Castle → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- BFO85LA078
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.
Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.
Read the full NTSB narrative
ACCORDING TO THE PLT, AFTER EXPERIENCING A LOSS OF LIFT, HE FLEW OVER THE OPEN FIELD, OBSERVED ELECTRICAL WIRES, AND CONTINUED TO FLY PARALLEL WITH THE WIRES. AS HE TURNED WESTWARD TO LAND IN THE FIELD, THE PLT LOST SIGHT OF THE POWER LINES IN THE SUNSET. NEXT, THE PLT OBSERVED THE WIRES CONTACTING THE ACFT, ALTHOUGH A STATE TROOPER COULD NOT FIND EVIDENCE OF THE WIRES COLLIDING WITH ANY OF THE GLIDER'S WING SURFACES. THE LEFT WING OF THE GLIDER THEN STRUCK TWO FENCE POSTS AND THE ACFT GROUND-LOOPED BEFORE COMING TO REST.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Schleicher ASW-20 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Aug 1986 | Schleicher ASW-20 | Ionia, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jul 1986 | Schleicher ASW-20 | Hobbs, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Aug 1986 | Schleicher ASW-20 | Uvalde, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 24 May 1983 | Schleicher ASW-20 | Lansing, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Apr 1982 | Schleicher ASW-20 | Tulare, California, United States | Rick's Glass Tech | Fatal | 1 |
| 6 Aug 1982 | Schleicher ASW-20 | Unionville, Pennsylvania, United States | Thomas Knauff/Doris Grove | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Apr 1985 | Boeing 737-217 | Chantilly, Virginia, United States | People Express | No injuries | - |
| 2 Jun 1985 | Douglas DC-10-30F | Chantilly, Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Aug 1985 | Boeing 727-225 | Richmond, Virginia, United States | Eastern Airlines, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 23 Sep 1985 | Beechcraft B99 | Grottoes, Virginia, United States | - | Fatal | 14 |
| 4 Feb 1985 | Piper PA-24-250 | Chantilly, Virginia, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 6 Feb 1985 | Piper PA-31-350 | Lynchburg, Virginia, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |