Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-2B accident near Corona, New Mexico, June 2, 2013
On June 2, 2013, a Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-2B (glider), registered N62TW, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Corona, New Mexico (None airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while ridge-soaring in gusty wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 2, 2013 · cases in 2013
- Place
- Corona, New Mexico · None · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-2B · all VENTUS-2Bs on the register
- Registration
- N62TW · no longer on the register · serial 140
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was ridge-soaring in his glider near a mountain peak in gusty wind conditions, when he was blown into trees. The glider sustained substantial damage to the airframe and wings. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the glider. He said that he was unfamiliar with the terrain and the wind gusts and down-drafts were higher than he anticipated.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,800 hours in all; 1,652 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 30, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 2, 2012
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: 0E0 Moriarty NM at 7:00 pm
- Destination: 0E0 Moriarty NM
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on July 29, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N62TW the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N62TW: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-2 70 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Schempp-Hirth 516 aircraft on the register
- Moriarty Municipal · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in New Mexico 1,423 since 1982 · 184 in the last ten years
- New Mexico 3,113 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N62TW 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN13CA336.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.