Pdps Pzl-Bielsko SZD-50-3 accident near Lone Pine, California, July 18, 2004
On July 18, 2004 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Pdps Pzl-Bielsko SZD-50-3 (glider), registered N19SZ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lone Pine, California (Lone Pine airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot failed to maintain runway alignment, and misjudged the clearance between the tree and the wing resulting in a collision with the tree.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 2004 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lone Pine, California · Lone Pine · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pdps Pzl-Bielsko SZD-50-3
- Registration
- N19SZ · no longer on the register · serial B2115
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The glider collided with a tree during landing, and the right wing was torn from the fuselage. After clearing a set of power lines, the glider was 15 feet agl. The pilot saw a tree, and the glider drifted to the right of the runway centerline. He misjudged the clearance between the tree and the wing, and a collision occurred. The glider spun 270 degrees from its original flight path before coming to rest. The pilot recommended flying a higher approach to prevent future accidents. The pilot noted no mechanical malfunctions with the glider prior to the accident.
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: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 200 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O26 Lone Pine CA
- Destination: O26 Lone Pine CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.