Glasflugel H 301 LIBELLE accident near Thompson Falls, Montana, July 29, 1990
On July 29, 1990 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Glasflugel H 301 LIBELLE (glider), registered N4166A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Thompson Falls, Montana (Thompson Falls 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A DISABLED AIRCRAFT BLOCKING THE ACTIVE RUNWAY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 29, 1990 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Thompson Falls, Montana · Thompson Falls · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Glasflugel H 301 LIBELLE H 301 LIBE · all H 301 LIBELLEs on the register
- Registration
- N4166A · registry record · serial 52
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE THE PILOT WAS ON DOWNWIND IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR LANDING, A GLIDER AHEAD IN THE PATTERN BLEW A TIRE ON TOUCHDOWN AND WAS SITTING DISABLED ON THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON THE UNOBSTRUCTED PORTION OF RWY, BUT TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 75 FEET SHORT OF THE RUNWAY.
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: 249 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 239 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,608 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 28, 1989; 64 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 660 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 2,200 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from FCA, 60 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA90LA150.