Ltv Aerospace Industries A7E and Rolladen-Schneider LS-4 mid-air collision near Warner Springs, California, April 20, 1986
On April 20, 1986 at about 10:43 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Ltv Aerospace Industries A7E (USN) and Rolladen-Schneider LS-4 (N50EH), were involved in a mid-air collision near Warner Springs, California (Warner Springs airport). 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 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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 20, 1986 · about 10:43 pm local time · cases in 1986
- Place
- Warner Springs, California · Warner Springs · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Ltv Aerospace Industries A7E
- Registration
- USN · registered outside the United States · serial 160858
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Rolladen-Schneider LS-4 · all LS-4s on the register
- Registration
- N50EH · registry record · serial 4134
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Ltv Aerospace Industries A7E final · quoted from the NTSB record
A ROLLADEN-SCHNEIDER LS-4 GLIDER AND AN LTV A7E JET COLLIDED OVER HOT SPRINGS MTN, NEAR WARNER SPRINGS, CA. THE A7E WAS ATTEMPTING A RAPID PULL UP AND THE GLIDER WAS ATTEMPTING A NOSE DOWN, 30 DEG RIGHT TURN WHEN THEY COLLIDED. BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE OPERATING UNDER VISUAL FLT RULES AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. NEITHER PILOT WAS INJURED. THE GLIDER LEFT WING OUTBD 3 FT SECTION WAS SEVERED. THE A7E NOSE COWLING WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE ENGINE INGESTED EXTENSIVE FIBERGLASS MATERIAL. THE COLLISION OCCURRED AS THE A7E WAS EXECUTING A SOUTHBOUND TURN ON VR 1257 AND WAS WITHIN THE ROUTE WIDTH (4 NM); THE GLIDER WAS ATTEMPTING TO GAIN LIFT ON THE WEST SIDE OF HOT SPRINGS MTN AND WAS WITHIN VR 1257 ROUTE STRUCTURE. THE A7E PLT HAD INFORMED THE NECESSARY FLT SERV STATIONS THAT THE ROUTE WAS ACTIVE; THE GLIDER PLT HAD NOT CONTACTED THE FLT SERV STATIONS TO DETERMINE IF THE ROUTE WAS ACTIVE.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Rolladen-Schneider LS-4 final · quoted from the NTSB record
A ROLLADEN-SCHNEIDER LS-4 GLIDER AND AN LTV A7E JET COLLIDED OVER HOT SPRINGS MTN, NEAR WARNER SPRINGS, CA. THE A7E WAS ATTEMPTING A RAPID PULL UP AND THE GLIDER WAS ATTEMPTING A NOSE DOWN, 30 DEG RIGHT TURN WHEN THEY COLLIDED. BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE OPERATING UNDER VISUAL FLT RULES AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. NEITHER PILOT WAS INJURED. THE GLIDER LEFT WING OUTBD 3 FT SECTION WAS SEVERED. THE A7E NOSE COWLING WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE ENGINE INGESTED EXTENSIVE FIBERGLASS MATERIAL. THE COLLISION OCCURRED AS THE A7E WAS EXECUTING A SOUTHBOUND TURN ON VR 1257 AND WAS WITHIN THE ROUTE WIDTH (4NM); THE GLIDER WAS ATTEMPTING TO GAIN LIFT ON THE WEST SIDE OF HOT SPRINGS MTN AND WAS WITHIN VR 1257 ROUTE STRUCTURE. THE A7E PLT HAD INFORMED THE NECESSARY FLT SERV STATIONS THAT THE ROUTE WAS ACTIVE; THE GLIDER PLT HAD NOT CONTACTED THE FLT SERV STATIONS TO DETERMINE IF THE ROUTE WAS ACTIVE.
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 for the Ltv Aerospace Industries A7E from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,171 hours in all; 859 in this make and model; 107 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 1,115 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,164 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, December 8, 1985; 96 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 34,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison TF-41A-402D (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NKX San Diego CA at 8:27 pm
- Destination: Lemore CA
- Flight plan: VFR then IFR
- Runway 24, 12,000 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from NKX, 42 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
The factual record for the Rolladen-Schneider LS-4 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 755 hours in all; 637 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 707 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 781 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 22, 1986; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HMT Hemet CA at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 5,000 ft by 90 ft
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 USN the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N50EH on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Rolladen-Schneider LS-4 56 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Rolladen-Schneider 117 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Allison TF-41A-402D · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: · as the NTSB recorded it
- Coal Creek Airport · nearest airport
- Miramar Marine Corps Air Station (Joe Foss Field) · departed from
- Hemet-Ryan Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,096 in the last ten years
- California 28,134 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under USN 4 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/LAX86MA186.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.