Schreder HP-11-A accident near Dansville, New York, July 22, 2000
On July 22, 2000 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Schreder HP-11-A (glider), an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N586A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dansville, New York (Danville Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper in-flight decision to continue the flight with an unfavorable wind. A factor related to the accident was the loss of thermal lift.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 22, 2000 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Dansville, New York · Danville Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schreder HP-11-A, amateur-built · all HP-11-As on the register
- Registration
- N586A · no longer on the register · serial 53
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The glider was towed to 1,500 feet, and released. The pilot flew 'some' circles looking for lift and found a 'weak' thermal at 200 feet. The location of the thermal was west of a ridgeline that ran southwest. The glider then climbed to 1,000 feet and began to drift from the winds aloft. The pilot attempted to find lift off of the ridgeline, but only encountered sink. The glider began to lose altitude and impacted trees. The pilot reported a total flight experience of 2,177 hours, all in gliders.
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: 2,177 hours in all; 1,234 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 16 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,617 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 20, 2000; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 850 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DSV at 3:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; scat at 4,600 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from DSV, 2 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.