Avia Stroitel AC-5M accident near Richland, Washington, April 12, 2003
On April 12, 2003 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Avia Stroitel AC-5M (glider), registered N125MZ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Richland, Washington (Richland 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 failure to maintain airspeed and the failure of the propeller drive assembly. A factor contributing to the accident was the inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 2003 · about 11:00 pm local time · cases in 2003
- Place
- Richland, Washington · Richland Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Avia Stroitel AC-5M · all AC-5Ms on the register
- Registration
- N125MZ · registry record · serial 005
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The takeoff was normal until two-thirds of the way down the runway, at approximately 150 feet above ground level, the tension on the propeller drive belts slipped resulting in a loss of power. The pilot elected to make a right turn to land on an intersecting runway; however, the pilot's failure to lower the nose resulted in the loss of airspeed and the right wing stalling. The aircraft impacted the ground with its right wing tip, spun around 180 degrees, skidded backwards across a taxiway, and came to rest in sandy soil. The reason for the slippage of the drive belts was not determined. .
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: 440 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 379 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 20, 2002
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2002; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 660 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Compact Radial Engines MZ 35 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RLD Richland WA at 11:00 pm
- Destination: RLD Richland WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 3,999 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N125MZ on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Avia Stroitel AC-5 15 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Avia Stroitel 21 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Compact Radial Engines MZ 35 · as the NTSB recorded it
- Richland Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Washington 2,713 since 1982 · 362 in the last ten years
- Washington 10,644 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/SEA03LA061.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.