Schempp-Hirth STANDARD CIRRUS accident near Prescott Valley, Arizona, April 11, 2015
On April 11, 2015 at about 10:25 pm local time, a 1971 Schempp-Hirth STANDARD CIRRUS (glider), registered N352D, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Prescott Valley, Arizona (A.C. Goodwin Memorial Field). It was a glider-towing flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the glider’s critical angle of attack during the initial climb after a ground-tow launch, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 11, 2015 · about 10:25 pm local time
- Place
- Prescott Valley, Arizona · A.C. Goodwin Memorial Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schempp-Hirth STANDARD CIRRUS NO SERIES, built 1971 · all STANDARD CIRRUSs on the register
- Registration
- N352D · no longer on the register · serial 126
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Glider-towing flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A glider club member reported that the accident glider had been flown twice earlier in the day with no anomalies noted. He added that, before the accident flight, he advised the pilot that the glider had a "touchy elevator" and that things seemed to happen fast in a fiberglass glider. He observed the glider launch and noted that the glider appeared to be moving slowly with an increased angle-of-attack. When the glider reached about 800 ft above ground level, he observed it enter a left stall/spin before impact. The ground-tow winch operator stated that the accident pilot made a standard radio call that he was ready to launch and that he requested a reference speed of 65 mph. The operator then added power and saw what appeared to be a normal takeoff and initial climbout, during which the pilot called his speed as "65," which indicated that the winch power setting was as desired for the tow. The operator added that he heard the pilot call what sounded like "more power," which is not a standard call; a normal call would be one that indicated power needs, such as needed airspeed above or below the desired reference speed. The operator began to add additional power, but almost immediately thereafter, he saw the glider's nose drop as the glider entered a spin. Several other witnesses at the airport reported similar accounts of the accident sequence. Postaccident examination of the glider and the tow winch system revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Therefore, based on the witness statements, it is likely that the pilot failed to maintain adequate airspeed during the initial climb and exceeded the glider's critical angle-of-attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin and subsequent impact with terrain in a steep nose-down attitude.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 135 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 88 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 21, 2015
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,144.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 26, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 728 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: AZ86 Prescott Valley AZ at 10:25 pm
- Destination: AZ86 Prescott Valley AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 2,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 10:45 pm from PRC, 12 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 WPR15FA144.