Amateur-built BRIEGLED BG-12A accident near Readington, New Jersey, May 21, 1994
On May 21, 1994 at about 10:20 pm local time, a amateur-built BRIEGLED BG-12A (glider), registered N6552N, was destroyed in an accident near Readington, New Jersey (Solberg-Hunterdon airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot failed to maintain airspeed while maneuvering which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin. A factor was the lack of experience in the make and model of glider.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 1994 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Readington, New Jersey · Solberg-Hunterdon
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built BRIEGLED BG-12A BRIEGLED B
- Registration
- N6552N · no longer on the register · serial 35
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE GLIDER WAS OBSERVED BY WITNESSES TO BE HIGH ON FINAL APPROACH. THE PILOT FIRST SLIPPED AND THEN ENTERED A STEEP RIGHT TURN. WHILE IN THE TURN, THE NOSE DROPPED AND THE GLIDER ENTERED A RIGHT SPIN AND IMPACTED THE TURF RUNWAY. NO MECHANICAL FAILURES WERE FOUND WITH THE GLIDER. THE PILOT HAD 89 HOURS, ACCRUED OVER 8 YEARS. HE HAD FLOWN APPROX 4 HOURS OVER 11 FLIGHTS IN THE PRECEDING 90 DAYS, INCLUDING 1 HOUR AND 3 FLIGHTS IN THE ACCIDENT GLIDER, ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE ACCIDENT GLIDER WAS EQUIPPED WITH WING FLAPS, BUT NO SPEED BRAKES OR SPOILERS. ALL PREVIOUS FLIGHTS HAD BEEN IN GLIDERS WITH SPOILERS OR SPEED BRAKES.
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: 89 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 55 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 770 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 23, 1993
- Maximum gross weight: 600 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22G, 2,100 ft by 170 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from TTN, 19 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.