Alexander Schleicher GMBH & CO ASK 21 accident near Valyermo, California, April 8, 2022
On April 8, 2022 at about 11:10 pm local time, a 2018 Alexander Schleicher GMBH & CO ASK 21 (glider), an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N212NM, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Valyermo, California. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The gliders encounter with atmospheric conditions where the lift was not sufficient to maintain flight and subsequent impact with mountainous terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 2022 · about 11:10 pm local time
- Place
- Valyermo, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Alexander Schleicher GMBH & CO ASK 21 NO SERIES, built 2018, amateur-built
- Registration
- N212NM · no longer on the register · serial 21947
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the glider reported that, while in thermal flight, he made a turn to the south to follow a ridgeline. Before he reached the top of the mountain, the glider experienced a loss of lift. To compensate, he maneuvered the glider away from terrain and encountered additional sink. While maneuvering the glider toward lower terrain, the right-wing tip struck a tree. The glider struck additional trees before it impacted terrain and came to rest between two trees. The glider sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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 enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Thermal lifting › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Contributed to outcome
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 509 hours in all; 177 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 108 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 19, 2020
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 432.7 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 25, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Na (none); 0 hours total
- Operator: Southern California Soaring Academy, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: 46CN Llano CA at 10:13 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KPMD, 22 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KPMD 082253Z AUTO 28005KT 10SM CLR 31/M11 A3000 RMK AO2 SLP137 T03111106 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 30, 2022. 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 - Pilot | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 - Operator | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.