Centrair ASW20F accident near Minden, Nevada, July 25, 1997
On July 25, 1997, a Centrair ASW20F (glider), registered N120MJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Minden, Nevada. 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 improper planning/decision and subsequent encounter with gusty winds and strong downdrafts, which precluded reaching the airport and induced an unrecoverable high sink rate during an off-airport landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 1997
- Place
- Minden, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Centrair ASW20F
- Registration
- N120MJ · registry record · serial 20188
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of a glider said that as he was returning to the airport, he encountered strong turbulence and downdrafts, and concluded that he would not be able to safely reach the runway. He selected a field, and as he got closer, realized that he had too much energy for a straight-in approach and not enough for a pattern. The pilot said he then deployed some drag devices and began making S-turns. Reportedly, the glider encountered a downdraft and touched down hard with a very high sink rate. Ground witnesses reported that very gusty winds existed at the time of the landing. An FAA airworthiness inspector examined the glider and noted that no discrepancies were found.
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: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,702 hours in all; 1,015 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 1,620 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,978 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 25, 1997; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MEV at 8:32 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 14 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from RNO, 50 miles away
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.