Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS II N173
30 May 1993 · Buena Vista, Colorado, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 30 May 1993 at about 16:30 local time, a Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS II registered N173, operated by Kile, R. L., was involved in an accident near Buena Vista, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 16:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Buena Vista, Colorado, United States
- Nearest airport
- Buena Vista Municipal (7V1)
- Coordinates
- 38.8309, -106.1399
- Aircraft
- Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS II
- Registration
- N173
- Category
- Glider
- Operator
- Kile, R. L.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN93LA064
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
FAILURE TO FOLLOW PROCEDURES AND DIRECTIVES WHEN OPERATING THE FLAPS.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL THE PILOT WENT FROM NEGATIVE TO POSITIVE FLAPS AFTER THE CONTROLS BECAME EFFECTIVE. THE FLAP TRANSITION WAS RAPID AND THE GLIDER BEGAN TO OSCILLATE IN PITCH. THE OSCILLATIONS BECAME DIVERGENT AND THE GLIDER ROLLED OFF ON A WING AND COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND SHORTLY AFTER THE SAFETY ROPE PARTED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WENT FROM NEGATIVE TO POSITIVE FLAPS TOO QUICKLY RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Sep 1990 | Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS-2C | California City, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 17 Jun 1997 | Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS 3/24.5 | MacDoel, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Jul 1999 | Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS 4DM | Minden, Nevada, United States | William S. Ivans | Fatal | 2 |
| 8 Jul 1987 | Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS II | Hobbs, New Mexico, United States | James M. Stabler | No injuries | - |
| 30 Jul 1986 | Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS IIIT | Hawthorne, Nevada, United States | Carl D. Herold | No injuries | - |
| 24 May 2001 | Schempp-Hirth NIMBUS-3DM | Alamogordo, New Mexico, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Oct 1993 | Cessna 172F | Co. Springs, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Oct 1993 | Beechcraft A36TC | Pueblo, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 3 Nov 1993 | Bellanca BL17-31ATC | Pagosa Springs, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Oct 1993 | Cessna 210 | Monte Vista, Colorado, United States | Anderson, Robert W. | No injuries | - |
| 25 Nov 1993 | Cessna R172K | Mancos, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 30 Nov 1993 | Cessna A185F | Maybell, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |