Centrair 101C accident near Santa Fe, New Mexico, May 25, 1997
On May 25, 1997 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Centrair 101C (glider), registered N991JB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Fe, New Mexico. 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 improper planning/decison. Factors relating to the accident were: lack of thermal lift, which resulted in an off-airport landing, and the lack of suitable terrain for the landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 25, 1997 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Centrair 101C · all 101Cs on the register
- Registration
- N991JB · no longer on the register · serial 101901
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Initially, strong thermal conditions prevailed on the proposed 500 km cross-country glider flight; however, conditions began to weaken, and the pilot amended his destination twice. The conditions continued to deteriorate, and when the glider reached an altitude of 1,500 feet agl, the pilot determined that an off-airport landing was inevitable. He selected a highway as the only available landing area due to numerous trees in the surrounding terrain. The glider touched down, and during rolled-out, the wings settled onto the highway guardrails. At a speed of about 10 mph, the glider's nose turned left, and the fuselage contacted the left guardrail.
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: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 323 hours in all; 200 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,035 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,342 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0E0 Moriarty NM at 6:30 pm
- Destination: LVS Las Vegas NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°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.
Other NTSB records under N991JB the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.