Amateur-built DG-300 accident near California City, California, October 29, 2005
On October 29, 2005 at about 10:20 pm local time, a amateur-built DG-300 (glider), registered N30AS, was destroyed in an accident near California City, California (California City Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadvertent retraction of the gear and failure to deploy the spoilers, and his subsequent failure to attain a proper touchdown point.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 29, 2005 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- California City, California · California City Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DG-300
- Registration
- N30AS · registry record · serial 3E14
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot intentionally ground looped the glider and struck a berm after overshooting the desired touchdown point on the landing runway. The pilot was performing a high parasite drag maneuver on landing. On approach he realized that he would overshoot the first half of the runway and chose to land on the second half. The pilot reached for the spoiler handle, but by mistake pulled the gear handle instead and inadvertently retracted the gear. The glider touched down on the runway at approximately 70 knots. The pilot feared he would strike a berm at the end of the runway head on and intentionally ground looped the glider, striking the berm at a 90-degree angle to the left. The glider was destroyed, and the pilot received minor injuries.
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; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 692 hours in all; 364 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,133 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2005; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,157 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L71 California City CA
- Destination: L71 California City CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 6, 6,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 160°F (71°C), dew point 111°F (44°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from BFL, 68 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 N30AS 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.