Amateur-built Glasair I TD accident near Minden, Nevada, February 13, 2002
On February 13, 2002, a amateur-built Glasair I TD, registered N777WE, was destroyed in an accident near Minden, Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane resulting in the airplane entering a flat spin from which the pilot did not recover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 13, 2002
- Place
- Minden, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Glasair I TD
- Registration
- N777WE · registry record · serial 101
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The amateur-built airplane impacted the ground in a pasture at a steep flight path angle. Prior to departure the pilot told the operator that his intent was to practice stall maneuvers. When he did not return that evening, an Alert Notice (ALNOT) was issued. The owner of the property where the accident occurred saw an unidentified object in his pasture the following morning, however he had other pressing business and didn't return to identify the wreckage until the afternoon of that day. The accident site was in an open pasture, and the entire airplane was present in the immediate area of the wreckage with no appreciable wreckage distribution. There was no fire. The forward 1/2 of the engine was buried in the soil at a 30- to 45-degree angle. The composite airframe was extensively fractured; however, flight control continuity was established to the cockpit. The left and right wing leading edges exhibited crushing damage aft to the wing spar and there was an impact mark on the surface of the dirt immediately in front of the wing of size and shape consistent with the leading edge shape and span. There were no trees or electrical power transmission lines in the proximity. A toxicological analysis of the pilot reported finding the drug paroxetine. According to the internet website "mentalhealth.com", paroxetine is a prescription antidepressant. The concentration reported in the pilot's blood was 0.279 ug/mL. The FAA's 1999 Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners notes "the use of a psychotropic drug is considered disqualifying. This includes all sedatives, tranquilizers, antipsychotic drugs, antidepressant drugs (including SSRI's), analeptics, anxiolytics, and hallucinogens."
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
- Flight time: 320 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 231 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, November 6, 2001; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MEV Minden NV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.