Distar Cz As D 13/15 SUN DANCER accident near Boulder City, Nevada, February 24, 2022
On February 24, 2022 at about 9:40 pm local time, a 2017 Distar Cz As D 13/15 SUN DANCER (glider), registered N588V, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Boulder City, Nevada (Boulder City Muni airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from powerlines while maneuvering, which resulted in a wire strike and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s impairment from alcohol consumption and his use of diphenhydramine before the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 24, 2022 · about 9:40 pm local time · cases in 2022
- Place
- Boulder City, Nevada · Boulder City Muni · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Distar Cz As D 13/15 SUN DANCER, built 2017 · all D 13/15 SUN DANCERs on the register
- Registration
- N588V · registry record · serial 145/13DF
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed in the motorglider and impacted powerlines and terrain near the airport shortly thereafter. An individual who interacted with the pilot before the accident flight reported that “something was off” and that the pilot “seemed a little woozy.” A witness near the accident site reported seeing a low-flying airplane and stated that the engine sounded normal; however, she did not see the accident. Postaccident examination of the glider revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Toxicological testing of the pilot detected impairing levels of ethanol and diphenhydramine consistent with the pilot having recently consumed alcohol before the flight. Therefore, it is likely that the pilot’s impairment from consuming alcohol contributed to his failure to maintain clearance from power lines. Diphenhydramine is available over-the-counter in many products used to treat colds, allergies, as well as insomnia because of its strong sedating effects. Patients are advised not to use diphenhydramine with ethanol because that increases drowsiness. Diphenhydramine alone would have caused drowsiness and diminished reaction time and performance; in combination with ethanol, these effects would be enhanced. Thus, the effects from the pilot’s use of diphenhydramine contributed to this accident.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Alcohol › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › OTC medication › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,418 hours in all
- Last flight review: September 7, 2021
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 27, 2021
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS2 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,103 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 5°F (-15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 1:35 pm from KBVU, 2 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KBVU 242135Z AUTO 15008KT 10SM CLR 09/M15 A3021 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 6 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 1 – View of motor glider fuselage wreckage
Photo 2 – View of motor glider left wing
Photo 3 – View of motor glider right wing
Photo 4 – View of motor glider empennage
Photo 5 – View of motor glider engine
Photo 6 – View of black in color power lines with debrisThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on August 15, 2023. 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 | Accident Site Examination | PDF, 8 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 2 | Airframe and Engine Exam | PDF, 7 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statements | PDF, 7 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 4 | Medical Factual | PDF, 5 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 5 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
| 6 | ADS-B Data | map file · our copy | Download |
| 7 | ADS-B Csv File | data file · our copy | Download |
| 8 | Photo Array | PDF, 6 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 9 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 10 | Evidence Control Form | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N588V on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Distar Cz As D 13 7 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Distar Cz As 7 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS2 209 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Boulder City Municipal · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Nevada 1,294 since 1982 · 223 in the last ten years
- Nevada 4,591 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR22FA109.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.