Schempp-Hirth VENTUS C accident near Durango, Colorado, June 13, 1991
On June 13, 1991 at about 5:40 pm local time, a Schempp-Hirth VENTUS C (glider), registered N418CH, was destroyed in an accident near Durango, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE ABSENCE OF THERMAL LIFT, THE PILOT'S APPREHENSION, AND HIS LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 13, 1991 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Durango, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schempp-Hirth VENTUS C · all VENTUS Cs on the register
- Registration
- N418CH · registry record · serial 387
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT TOLD WITNESSES HE WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, HAD LIMITED MOUNTAIN FLYING EXPEREINCE, WAS STILL UNCOMFORTABLE FLYING HIS 3-YEAR OLD HIGH-PERFORMANCE SAILPLANE, AND NEEDED TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE IN HIS FLYING TECHNIQUE. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT APPEARED NEVOUS AND APPREHENSIVE. HE INSTRUCTED THE TOW PILOT TO FLY NORTH TOWARDS MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AND A DISTANT THUNDERSTORM. THE PILOT RELEASED HIMSELF AT 8800 FT MSL, ABOUT 200-300 FT BELOW THE CREST OF THE RIDGE. THE TOW PILOT SAID SOARING CONDITIONS IN THAT AREA WERE 'POOR WITH LITTLE LIFT.' WHEN THE SAILPLANE FAILED TO RETURN. A SEARCH WAS INITIATED. THE SAILPLANE HAD STRUCK ASPEN TREES AND CRASHED WITHIN 1.5 MILES OF THE RELASE POINT.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 3,100 hours in all; 97 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 74 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 7, 1991; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,157 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CD82 Durango CO at 5:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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 DEN91FA083.