Schleicher ASW-20 accident near Yoder, Kansas, March 28, 2004
On March 28, 2004 at about 9:20 pm local time, a Schleicher ASW-20 (glider), registered N232EM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Yoder, Kansas (Sunflower Aerodrome/Gliderport airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to secure the elevator Louis L'Hotellier connector with a safety pin or wire as directed in several airworthiness directives and his inadequate preflight inspection of the sailplane, both of which resulted in the in-flight loss of elevator control due to the inadvertent disengagement of the elevator Louis L'Hotellier connector.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 28, 2004 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- Yoder, Kansas · Sunflower Aerodrome/Gliderport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASW-20 · all ASW-20s on the register
- Registration
- N232EM · no longer on the register · serial 20061
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The experimental sailplane impacted an agricultural field after losing elevator control during initial climb on an aero-tow. Post accident examination of the elevator control system revealed the elevator Louis L'Hotellier ball and swivel joint had become disengaged, which resulted in the loss of elevator control. The Louis L'Hotellier fitting consists of a ball and swivel joint that connects the elevator control rod to the control surface. The purpose of the fitting is to allow the quick disassembly and reassembly of a sailplane. Several airworthiness directives (AD) have been issued for Louis L'Hotellier type fittings in order to "prevent the connectors from becoming inadvertently disconnected, which could result in loss of control of the sailplane or glider." The AD requires the lock plates to be secured either by a safety pin, wire, or other approved method. One specific AD further requires the installation of a placard that states, "All L'Hotellier control system connectors must be secured with safety wire, pins, or safety sleeves, as applicable, prior to operation." According to the pilot, he did not install a safety pin or wire on the elevator fitting prior to the accident flight. Additionally, he reported the sailplane was not equipped with the placard requiring a securing device to be used. The pilot was the owner of the sailplane. The pilot reported completing a "positive control check... although a second person was not available to help." The recognized method of performing a positive control check involves two individuals; one to hold the control surface stationary, while the other individual attempts to move the control stick.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 12,500 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 12,300 as pilot in command; 2,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SN76 Yoder KS
- Destination: SN76 Yoder KS
- 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.