Schleicher ASW-20 accident near Ionia, Michigan, August 17, 1986
On August 17, 1986 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Schleicher ASW-20 (glider), registered N12GH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ionia, Michigan (Ionia County 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 1986 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ionia, Michigan · Ionia County · 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
- N12GH · registry record · serial 20703
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PLT, AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES SOUTH OF IONIA COUNTY AIRPORT, IONIA, MICHIGAN, HE USED FRONTAL ZONE LIFT TO CLIMB TO 4600 MSL (3800 AGL), AND HE ENCOUNTERED NO FURTHER LIFT. THE PLT STATED THAT HE ANTICIPATED AN INCREASE IN WIND GRADIENT DURING DESCENT AND WHILE ON A ONE MILE FINAL HE STILL HAD VISUAL CONFIDENCE IN MAKING THE AIRPORT. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, HE THEN EXPERIENCED SEVERE SINK AND STRUCK A BUSH AND A LARGE ROCK BEFORE COMING TO REST APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE SHORT OF RWY 36 AT IONIA COUNTY AIRPORT.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 33,333 hours in all; 3,333 in this make and model; 220 in the last 90 days; 11,708 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 165 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 18, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,125 ft by 400 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from GRR, 20 miles away
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI86LA208.