Dg Flugzeugbau GMBH DG 1000S accident near Wrightwood, California, March 15, 2014
On March 15, 2014 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 2008 Dg Flugzeugbau GMBH DG 1000S (glider), registered N624RM, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Wrightwood, California (Crystal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision to maneuver the glider where the lift was not sufficient to maintain flight, resulting in an off airport landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 15, 2014 · about 6:00 pm local time · cases in 2014
- Place
- Wrightwood, California · Crystal · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dg Flugzeugbau GMBH DG 1000S NO SERIES, built 2008 · all DG 1000Ss on the register
- Registration
- N624RM · registry record · serial 10-129S82
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the purpose of the flight was for him to take his cousin, the sole passenger, around the local ski area. After departure, the glider was towed to about 9,000 feet mean sea level (msl) and adjacent to the ski area. The pilot maneuvered the glider in a 300-degree turn to the right and realized that he was at a lower altitude than the ridge. He continued toward the ridge in an effort to gain lift off of the canyons. As the glider continued to lose altitude, it descended below 6,000 feet msl and the pilot began to look for terrain that would be favorable for an off-airport landing. After deciding on a location, the pilot deployed the airbrakes and with the glider about 10 to 15 feet above ground level (agl), he intentionally stalled. The glider mushed into the ground with little horizontal speed. During the accident sequence the glider incurred substantial damage to the tail boom and wings. The pilot reported no pre impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider 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
- Loss of lift during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Thermal lifting › Decision related to condition
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Flight planning/navigation › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: foreign licence, private, student
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 225 hours in all; 5 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,680 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 6, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 1,653 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (none); 0 hours total
- Operator: Southern California Soaring Academy INC
The flight
- Departed from: 46CN Llano CA at 10:45 am
- Destination: 46CN Llano CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on May 21, 2014. 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 |
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
- N624RM on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Dg Flugzeugbau Gmbh DG-1000 32 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: · as the NTSB recorded it
- Crystal Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,096 in the last ten years
- California 28,158 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR14CA138.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.