Eiriavion Oy PIK 20B accident near Marana, Arizona, August 5, 2009
On August 5, 2009 at about 10:25 pm local time, a Eiriavion Oy PIK 20B (glider), registered N77MA, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Marana, Arizona (El Tiro Gliderport 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 loss of lift that resulted in an off-airport landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 2009 · about 10:25 pm local time
- Place
- Marana, Arizona · El Tiro Gliderport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Eiriavion Oy PIK 20B · all PIK 20Bs on the register
- Registration
- N77MA · registry record · serial 20127C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While returning from a cross-country glider flight, the pilot reported losing lift and encountering downdrafts along his route. He elected to make an off-airport landing. During the landing approach, the glider impacted the top of a tree at approximately 12 feet above the ground; subsequently, it impacted terrain on the chin of its' fuselage and came to rest in an upright position. The force of the impact resulted in the separation of both wings. Examination of the glider revealed that the fuselage, canopy, and wings were structurally damaged.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of lift during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Effect on operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 104 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 75 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 22, 2009
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,213 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 992 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: AZ67 Marana AZ at 9:05 pm
- Destination: AZ67 Marana AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 106°F (41°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from KTUS, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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 WPR09CA389.