Amateur-built 160 accident near Jean, Nevada, June 11, 1994
On June 11, 1994 at about 6:03 pm local time, a amateur-built 160 (glider), registered N90614, was destroyed in an accident near Jean, Nevada (Jean Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to properly connect the aileron control linkage during assembly, and his inadequate preflight which did not detect the problem before flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 1994 · about 6:03 pm local time
- Place
- Jean, Nevada · Jean Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built 160
- Registration
- N90614 · registry record · serial 1001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON THE INITIAL TAKEOFF, THE PILOT REPORTED HE HAD NO AILERON CONTROL. HE ABORTED THE TAKEOFF AND RELEASED FROM THE TOW PLANE WHEN ABOUT 20 TO 30 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE RIGHT WING THEN COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND AND THE GLIDER CRASHED. THE PILOT STATED HE FAILED TO PROPERLY CONNECT THE AILERON CONTROL LINKAGE AND THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION DID NOT DETECT THE PROBLEM.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 11,266 hours in all; 72 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 9,464 as pilot in command; 2,152 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 520 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0L7 at 6:05 pm
- Destination: 0L7 NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 4,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 35 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 102°F (39°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from LAS, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N90614 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 LAX94LA249.