Glasflugel STANDARD LIBELLE accident near Markleville, California, August 10, 1986
On August 10, 1986, a Glasflugel STANDARD LIBELLE (glider), registered N7190, was substantially damaged in an accident near Markleville, California (Alpine CO. Arpt airport). It was a personal 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
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 1986
- Place
- Markleville, California · Alpine CO. Arpt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Glasflugel STANDARD LIBELLE STANDARD L · all STANDARD LIBELLEs on the register
- Registration
- N7190 · no longer on the register · serial 93
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF THE GLASS FUGEL GLIDER REPORTED NO MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO THE CRASH AFTER ATTEMPTING A CIRCLE TO LAND MANEUVER. THE PILOT INDICATED HE MISJUDGED HIS ALTITUDE WITH THE UP HILL SLOPING RUNWAY. DURING THE CIRCLING MANEUVER HE FORGOT TO FLY THE AIRPLANE AND ALLOWED THE AIRSPEED TO GET TOO LOW WHICH RESULTED IN AN INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL AND SPIN INTO THE GROUND.
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: 527 hours in all; 375 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 954 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 14, 1985; 52 hours since
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 4,440 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: 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 LAX86LA318.