Glasflugel 604 accident near W Silver Spring, Nevada, June 25, 1984
On June 25, 1984 at about 1:00 am local time, a Glasflugel 604 (glider), registered N165D, was destroyed in an accident near W Silver Spring, Nevada. 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 25, 1984 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- W Silver Spring, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Glasflugel 604 · all 604s on the register
- Registration
- N165D · registry record
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE GLIDER PLT WAS RETURNING TO THE DOUGLAS COUNTRY ARPT AFTER A 470 MI X-COUNTRY FLT. WHILE AT ABOUT 10,000 FT, HE ENCOUNTER A DOWNDRAFT THAT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A NEARBY THUNDERSTORM & LOST ABOUT 7000 FT IN 7 MILES. HE ELECTED TO LAND ON A HIGHWAY. JUST AS HE HAD EXTENDED THE GEAR & WAS LANDING, HE SAW A LARGE CAUTION SIGN, BUT WAS UNABLE TO FLY OVER IT. THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE SIGN & WAS TORN OFF.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,509 hours in all; 320 in this make and model; 68 in the last 90 days; 1,389 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 9, 1984; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DC Minden NV at 7:00 pm
- Destination: Minden NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 35 knots, gusting 45
- Visibility: 35 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 16,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 5:00 pm
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.