Laister LP-15 accident near Adelanto, California, December 1, 1995
On December 1, 1995 at about 10:18 pm local time, a Laister LP-15 (glider), registered N6LS, was destroyed in an accident near Adelanto, California (Krey Field). 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 pilot's selection of the wrong runway for the prevailing wind conditions, and his failure to maintain an adequate airspeed during the base-to-final turn.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 1, 1995 · about 10:18 pm local time
- Place
- Adelanto, California · Krey Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Laister LP-15
- Registration
- N6LS · registry record · serial N1
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT ENTERED THE AIRSTRIP TRAFFIC PATTERN AND SET UP FOR A DOWNWIND FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 9. THE WINDSOCKS WERE INDICATING A WIND FROM THE WEST AT 10-12 KNOTS AND FAVORED A LANDING TO THE WEST. AN FAA DESIGNATED PILOT EXAMINER FOR GLIDERS WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT AND REPORTED THAT THE SPEED AND ALTITUDE OF THE GLIDER WAS SLOW AND LOW. THE GLIDER BEGAN A BASE-TO-FINAL TURN ABOUT 50-75 FEET AGL AND THE LEFT WING OF THE GLIDER DROPPED. THE EXAMINER SAID THE GLIDER APPEARED TO STALL AND THEN DESCEND TO GROUND IMPACT.
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: 299 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 219 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 1995
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0CL1 CA at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 3,360 ft by 250 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 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.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.