Biuro Projektowe B Bogumil Ber SZD-56-2 accident near Sparks, Nevada, July 14, 2019
On July 14, 2019 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 2006 Biuro Projektowe B Bogumil Ber SZD-56-2 (glider), registered N821W, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Sparks, Nevada (Air Sailing 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 abort the takeoff in a timely manner, which resulted in glider settling into sage brush.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 2019 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sparks, Nevada · Air Sailing · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Biuro Projektowe B Bogumil Ber SZD-56-2 DIANA-2, built 2006
- Registration
- N821W · no longer on the register · serial 562106003
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The glider pilot reported that, during an aerotow takeoff, the glider weather vaned off the paved surface of the runway about 200 ft into the takeoff roll. The pilot stated that the glider's tailwheel was too small to roll on the unpaved surface and that the glider's acceleration in the dirt "was not as fast as it needed to be." The tow plane became airborne before the glider, and shortly after the glider became airborne at low airspeed, about 10 to 15 ft above ground level, the glider settled into sage brush and contacted the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The glider pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation, and that the accident could have been prevented by releasing from the tow plane "before leaving the ground."
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 takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Effect on operation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 416.5 hours in all; 278.2 in this make and model; 80.5 in the last 90 days; 29.6 in the last 30 days; 414.8 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 13, 2017
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 466.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 5, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,102 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: NV23 Sparks NV at 7:30 pm
- Destination: NV23 Sparks NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 3,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 pm from KRTS, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on October 18, 2019. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Tow Pilot's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photo | 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.
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.