Schempp-Hirth Ventus-2C accident near Bridgeport, California, July 5, 2007
On July 5, 2007 at about 11:17 pm local time, a Schempp-Hirth Ventus-2C (glider), registered N11YD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bridgeport, California (Bryant Field). 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 encounter with an unfavorable wind and high sink rate conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2007 · about 11:17 pm local time
- Place
- Bridgeport, California · Bryant Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schempp-Hirth Ventus-2C · all Ventus-2Cs on the register
- Registration
- N11YD · registry record · serial 76
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The glider landed short of the runway after encountering unfavorable wind conditions. According to the pilot and data retrieved from an on-board data recorder, heavy sink was experienced while the pilot maneuvered in the pattern to land, which reduced the glide ratio from 50:1 to 10:1. With inadequate altitude to compensate for the sink, the glider impacted a berm in the rough terrain several hundred feet short of the runway, whereupon it nosed over.
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: 1,500 hours in all; 472 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TRK Truckee CA at 8:30 pm
- Destination: O57 Bridgeport CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 4,239 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 15 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX07CA206.