Schempp-Hirth DUO DISCUS accident near Minden, Nevada, July 24, 1997
On July 24, 1997, a Schempp-Hirth DUO DISCUS (glider), registered N125DD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Minden, Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to ensure that the wings were maintained at a lateral level attitude during the initial landing rollout. A factor in the accident was the rough, uneven nature of the terrain chosen for the landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 1997 · cases in 1997
- Place
- Minden, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schempp-Hirth DUO DISCUS · all DUO DISCUSs on the register
- Registration
- N125DD · registry record · serial 103
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that on rollout from the off-field landing the right wing tip contacted the ground, and the glider turned sideways before coming to a stop. A fracture was found on the aft part of the fuselage which went completely around the structure.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,653 hours in all; 67 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 1,406 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 170 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 20, 1996; 170 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,543 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MEV at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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
- N125DD on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Schempp-Hirth DUO DISCUS 29 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Schempp-Hirth 516 aircraft on the register
- Engine: · as the NTSB recorded it
- Minden-Tahoe Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Nevada 1,294 since 1982 · 223 in the last ten years
- Nevada 4,591 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/LAX97LA265.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.