Rolladen Schneider Ohg LS-3-17 accident near Adelanto, California, July 16, 2011
On July 16, 2011, a Rolladen Schneider Ohg LS-3-17 (glider), registered N84AM, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Adelanto, California (Krey Field Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's incorrect use of the flap control pitch control recovery which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 2011 · cases in 2011
- Place
- Adelanto, California · Krey Field Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rolladen Schneider Ohg LS-3-17
- Registration
- N84AM · registry record · serial 3466
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he turned from the base leg to final approach at about 400 feet with full flaps and spoilers extended. On final approach about 100 feet above the ground, he decided to change the flap setting from 20 degrees to 10 degrees as there was a crosswind. He said that as he tried to move the flap handle, the handle slipped from his hand and instantly changed the flaps to 10 degrees, which resulted in the glider losing lift and nosed down. He pulled back on the controls, but the glider stalled and collided with the ground resulting in substantial damage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Abrupt maneuver during landing
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Wing structure › Trailing edge flaps › Unintentional use/operation other cases naming the airframe structure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 439 hours in all; 257 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 367 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 15, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 884 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 29, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 1,041 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: 0CL1 Adelanto CA
- Destination: 0CL1 Adelanto CA
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 07, 3,360 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 19, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Picture 1. Photo of Damage to the Glider - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N84AM on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Krey Field · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,096 in the last ten years
- California 28,112 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR11CA338.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.