Schleicher ASW-19 accident near Dansville, New York, August 25, 2012
On August 25, 2012 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Schleicher ASW-19 (glider), registered N438AS, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Dansville, New York (Dansville Municiple Airport). 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 pilot’s failure to maintain glider control while maneuvering. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s impairment due to an over-the-counter sedating antihistamine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 2012 · about 7:30 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Dansville, New York · Dansville Municiple Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASW-19 · all ASW-19s on the register
- Registration
- N438AS · registry record · serial 19230
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the evening before the accident, the glider was assembled, and the pilot flew it for about 30 minutes uneventfully. On the day of the accident, after flying locally for about 3 hours, the glider was about 1 mile from the departure airport when witnesses reported that the glider started rolling back and forth into 90-degree banks. After three or four rolls, the glider descended nose-down to the ground and impacted a field in a flat attitude. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. About 3 years before the accident, the pilot underwent a procedure to repair an aneurysm of the ascending aorta combined with placement of a single vessel coronary artery bypass graft. He subsequently received a medical certificate and reported the surgery and that he was taking metoprolol (a beta blocker used to treat hypertension and prevent heart attacks), simvastatin (a cholesterol lowering drug), and lisinopril (a blood pressure medicine). Although the pilot's medical certificate had expired about 1 month before the accident, he was not required to possess a current medical certificate as a glider pilot. Before the accident flight, the pilot remarked to a friend that he was not feeling well. The friend added that the day was very hot and that the pilot did not drink water before the flight or bring any water with him. Autopsy results indicated that there was no evidence to suggest any direct effect of the pilot's cardiovascular disease (heart attack) in his ability to control the glider. Toxicological testing revealed levels of diphenhydramine in the pilot's blood that were well above therapeutic levels. Diphenhydramine is a sedating antihistamine used to treat allergy symptoms and as a sleep aid. It is probable that the cognitive and psychomotor impairment caused by diphenhydramine contributed to the pilot's loss of control in this accident.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Not attained/maintained
- factor Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › OTC medication › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: glider; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,600 hours in all; 999,999 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,162 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 18, 2012; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 890 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: DSV Dansville NY at 4:30 pm
- Destination: DSV Dansville NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 3,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 pm from DSV, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on September 17, 2014. 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 | Retention / Release of Wreckage Form | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Statement from Mr. Martin. | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statements. | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Excerpts from Maintenence Logs. | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Electronic Devices 17 - Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Medical Factual | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Additional Witness Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Flight Control Test Results | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Photo 1 – Main Wreckage (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N438AS on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Schleicher ASW-19 43 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Schleicher 506 aircraft on the register
- Dansville Municipal · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in New York 1,964 since 1982 · 249 in the last ten years
- New York 6,659 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA12LA528.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.