Schempp-Hirth DISCUS-B JA241
31 July 1991 · Medina, Texas, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 31 July 1991 at about 20:00 local time, a Schempp-Hirth DISCUS-B registered JA241, operated by Atsushi Kodama, was involved in an accident near Medina, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 20:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Medina, Texas, United States
- Coordinates
- 29.7997, -99.2510
- Aircraft
- Schempp-Hirth DISCUS-B
- Registration
- JA241
- Category
- Glider
- Operator
- Atsushi Kodama
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Uvalde → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW91FA131
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE FAILURE OF THE OTHER PILOT TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE GLIDERS COLLIDED AT APPROXIMATELY 6,000 FEET MSL WHILE CLIMBING IN A THERMAL AREA. IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA, APPROXIMATELY 20 GLIDERS WERE MANEUVERING ATTEMPTING TO ATTAIN OPTIMUM LIFT. THIS RESULTED IN OVERLAPPING FLIGHT PATHS. THE PILOT OF JAPANESE REGISTRY JA2413 OBSERVED FINNISH REGISTRY OH825 AND TWO OTHER GLIDERS APPROACHING FROM HIS LEFT AND BELOW HIS ALTITUDE. HE LOST SIGHT OF THE GLIDERS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, OH825 STRUCK HIS AFT FUSELAGE ON THE LEFT SIDE, WHICH RESULTED IN THE SEPARATION OF HIS EMPENNAGE. PAINT TRANSFER FROM THE RIGHT SIDE CANOPY TRACK AREA OF OH825 WAS FOUND ON THE LEFT SIDE OF JA2413 AT THE 7 O'CLOCK POSITION WHEN VIEWING JA2413 ALONG ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS FROM THE REAR. ADDITIONAL PAINT TRANSFERS WERE LOCATED AT THE 8 O'CLOCK, 9 O'CLOCK AND 10 O'CLOCK POSITIONS. OH825 CONTINUED GLIDING, BUT IN AN ERRATIC MANNER, EVENTUALLY COLLIDING WITH THE TERRAIN. THE COCKPIT AREA OF OH825 SUSTAINED THE IN-FLIGHT COLLISION DAMAGE. THE PILOT OF JA2413 PARACHUTED TO SAFETY.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schempp-Hirth DISCUS-B DISCUS-B | JA241 | Atsushi Kodama | Destroyed |
| Pzl-Mielec 55-1 55-1 | OH825 | Llmasotaboulun Lentokerhary | Destroyed |
Other Schempp-Hirth DISCUS accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Apr 1992 | Schempp-Hirth DISCUS BT | Julian, Pennsylvania, United States | Pioti Turosienski | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Oct 1988 | Schempp-Hirth DISCUS-B | Whitwell, Tennessee, United States | Steven L. Bair | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jul 1988 | Schempp-Hirth DISCUS B | Minden, Nevada, United States | Graham S. Thompson | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jul 1998 | Schempp-Hirth DISCUS A | Bridgeport, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Nov 1999 | Schempp-Hirth DISCUS A | Palmerton, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 28 Jan 2001 | Schempp-Hirth DISCUS CS | Wurtsboro, New York, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Jul 1991 | Beechcraft BE-19 | Mesquite, Texas, United States | ARI BEN Aviator | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 1991 | McDonnell Douglas MD-80 | Dfw Airport, Texas, United States | American Airlines | No injuries | - |
| 1 Aug 1991 | Robinson R22 BETA | Wylie, Texas, United States | Heli TEX Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 1991 | Cessna 150A | Jewett, Texas, United States | Jack R. Horan | Minor injuries | - |
| 3 Aug 1991 | Beechcraft K35 | Laredo, Texas, United States | DAN R. Blaker | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 1991 | Cessna 172F | Cumby, Texas, United States | Charles D. Wood | No injuries | - |