Schleicher AS20 accident near Coleville, California, June 17, 2000
On June 17, 2000 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Schleicher AS20 (glider), registered N59WM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Coleville, California. 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 tow plane pilot's inadequate airplane performance calculations.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 2000 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Coleville, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schleicher AS20
- Registration
- N59WM · registry record · serial 20274
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial glider pilot reported that after departing Truckee-Tahoe airport by tow, he lost lift and decided to make a precautionary landing in a field. Upon learning that there was a soaring club located nearby, he made contact with the club and requested an airplane tow out of the field. During the tow operation the tow plane collided with a fence. The sailplane released, overflew the tow plane by 2 to 4 feet, traveled across a road, and collided with another fence.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: glider; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,591 hours in all; 38 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 1,520 as pilot in command; 210 on instruments
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,024 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 7, 2000; 27 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 10:00 pm
- Destination: TRK Truckee CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 167°F (75°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from RNO, 30 miles away
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 N59WM 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.