Centrair 101 accident near Vacaville, California, September 25, 1988
On September 25, 1988 at about 1:45 am local time, a Centrair 101 (glider), registered N101LV, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vacaville, California. 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).
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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
- September 25, 1988 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Vacaville, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Centrair 101 · all 101s on the register
- Registration
- N101LV · registry record · serial 61P076080633
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT FLEW OVER A FIELD AT 700 FT. A.G.L. TO SEE IF IT WAS SAFE FOR LANDING. HE TURNED THE GLIDER TO ESTABLISH A DOWNWIND LEG. HE THEN TURNED TO THE BASE LEG. WHILE TURNING ONTO FINAL APPROACH AT A LOW ALTITUDE, THE GLIDER PITCHED UP AND ROLLED TO THE LEFT. THE LEFT WINGTIP COLLIDED WITH THE FIELD. THE GLIDER ROTATED 180 DEGREES AND COLLIDED WITH THE FIELD. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE WINDS WERE CALM, HOWEVER, THE WINDS AT FAIRFIELD, CA, 13 MILES SE OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, WERE REPORTED TO BE FROM 240 DEGREES AT 24 KNOTS GUSTING TO 28 KNOTS.
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: 78 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 37 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 045 Vacaville CA at 10:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 240° at 24 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Observation at 1:55 am from SUU, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N101LV the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 LAX88LA328.