Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-B accident near Mojave, California, August 31, 1991
On August 31, 1991 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-B (glider), registered N901DH, was destroyed in an accident near Mojave, California (Kelso Valley Ranch airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE GLIDER PILOT'S INADEQUATE ALTITUDE TO CLEAR TERRAIN. FACTORS WHICH RELATED TO THE PILOT BEING LOW COULD NOT BE ESTABLISHED BECAUSE THE PILOT HAD NO MEMORY OF THE ACCIDENT, AND NO WITNESSES WERE IDENTIFIED WHO OBSERVED THE GLIDER OTHER THAN DURING ITS FINAL FEW SECONDS OF FLIGHT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 1991 · about 10:30 pm local time · cases in 1991
- Place
- Mojave, California · Kelso Valley Ranch · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-B · all VENTUS-Bs on the register
- Registration
- N901DH · no longer on the register · serial 151
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE PARTICIPATING IN A GLIDER CONTEST, THE PILOT TRAVELED FOR 17 NAUTICAL MILES AND REACHED THE FIRST TURN POINT IN THE SPECIFIED TRIANGULAR COURSE. THE GLIDER PILOT WAS LOW, AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT A NEARBY AIRSTRIP. WITNESSES REPORTED OBSERVING THE GLIDER FLYING DOWNWIND AT 50 TO 100 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. WHEN THE GLIDER TURNED TOWARD THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY IT LOST ALTITUDE AND COLLIDED WITH A DIRT BERM ON THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE GLIDER'S FLIGHT PATH WAS BASED UPON WITNESS STATEMENTS. THE PILOT HAD NO MEMORY OF THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT.
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
- Flight time: 1,044 hours in all; 33 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,037 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 1,102 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: None NONE (type not recorded); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hutchinson Family Trust
The flight
- Departed from: L71 California City CA at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 115°F (46°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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N901DH: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-B 28 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Schempp-Hirth 516 aircraft on the register
- Engine: None NONE · as the NTSB recorded it
- California City Municipal · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,097 in the last ten years
- California 27,897 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/LAX91LA378.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.