Schleicher ASW-27 accident near Tonopah, Nevada, July 16, 2002
On July 16, 2002 at about 8:16 pm local time, a Schleicher ASW-27 (glider), registered N127HC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tonopah, Nevada (Tonopah airport). It was an air show or air race 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
Air event management's failure to adequately separate spectators and vehicles from the takeoff path. Also causal was the glider pilot's failure to maintain directional control and failure to abort the takeoff attempt in a timely manner.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 2002 · about 8:16 pm local time
- Place
- Tonopah, Nevada · Tonopah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASW-27 · all ASW-27s on the register
- Registration
- N127HC · registry record · serial 27161
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Air show or air race flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the initiation phase of an air tow takeoff launch, the pilot lost directional control of his glider when a wing contacted the runway. The glider veered off the runway and collided with a spectator and an automobile. The spectator was located ahead of the glider, but within an area that was supposed to be devoid of personnel. The pilot's ground crew was supposed to support the glider's wing during the beginning of the takeoff until the pilot acquired sufficient aerodynamic control to prevent the wings from contacting the ground. However, when the glider was connected to the tow plane, the tow plane never came to a complete stop. During the takeoff, the glider was accelerated in a slingshot manner out of the ground crew's hand. The accident occurred during a sanctioned Soaring Society of America aviation event (air race) known as the United States 15-Meter National Soaring Championships. Event spokespersons acknowledged that the area in where the collision occurred, called the "clear zone," had not been identified with specific markers, "Do Not Cross" signs, or physical barriers. They indicated, however, that the injured spectator was familiar with the airport, and evidently was 3.5 feet closer to the runway than he should have been, for personal reasons. The lateral distance between the runway's edge and the spectator was 78 feet. The pilot subsequently reported that had he held his brakes until the towrope was tight and stable, he would not have lost control. Also, the pilot reported that as soon as he observed that his course was diverging from the runway centerline, he could have pulled the tow release thus aborting the takeoff. Several of the aviation event's management and organization officials witnessed the accident. The National Soaring Championships Chair reported that, henceforth, its procedures were being changed by keeping the area in front of the glider's takeoff paths clear of nonparticipant personnel and vehicles.
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; instructor: glider; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all; 53 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 6,500 as pilot in command; 3,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 24, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 53 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 3, 2002; 52 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,102 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TPH Tonopah NV at 8:16 pm
- Destination: TPH Tonopah NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 7,057 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from TPH
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.
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.