Amateur-built GLASAIR III accident near Burbank, California, May 7, 2000
On May 7, 2000 at about 8:07 pm local time, a amateur-built GLASAIR III, registered N1ML, was substantially damaged in an accident near Burbank, California (Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to maintain a proper glidepath, which resulted in a collision with a power pole and damage to the landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 7, 2000 · about 8:07 pm local time
- Place
- Burbank, California · Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built GLASAIR III GLASAIR II
- Registration
- N1ML · registry record · serial 3086
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the flight was to practice takeoff's and landings at a nearby airport. According to the pilot, while on final approach, the airplane experienced a downdraft and lost about 75 feet in altitude. The pilot initiated a go-around, but was unable to arrest the descent. The airplane's right main landing gear struck a telephone pole and was sheared off. The pilot requested to make an emergency landing at the accident airport due to the availability of ARFF equipment. After landing, the remaining landing gear collapsed, and the airplane veered off the runway and struck a taxiway sign with the right wing. Review of the aviation surface observations for the hour before and after the accident revealed winds out of the west at 7 knots. No unusual meteorological conditions were reported.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,837 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 5,977 as pilot in command; 860 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 360 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 24, 2000; 335 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WHP Whiteman CA at 7:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 6,886 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 158°F (70°C), dew point 122°F (50°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:07 pm from BUR
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 LAX00LA184.