NTSB CAROL · Event
Event CEN13CA410
Registry · N72EM
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
SCHLEICHER ASW-27
Year of manufacture
2002 · 11 years old at event
Engine
NONE NONE
Seats / Engines
1 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20020813
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A9A1A3
Registrant of record
MAKI JEFFREY HAROLD TRUSTEE
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while landing in gusting crosswind conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's delayed return to the airport.
Factual narrative
In a written statement, the pilot said he departed in his glider with an observed thunderstorm approximately 50 miles from the airport. About 2 hours later, after hearing that other glider pilots had returned to the airport due to the approaching storm, he returned as well. During the approach to the airport, it was raining and the wind was gusting to 38 knots. The airplane landed with a left crosswind. During the landing roll, the left wing impacted the ground and the glider ground looped. The glider sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies and stated the accident could have been prevented if he had landed sooner. In a written statement, the pilot said he departed in his glider with an observed thunderstorm approximately 50 miles from the airport. About 2 hours later, after hearing that other glider pilots had returned to the airport due to the approaching storm, he returned as well. During the approach to the airport, it was raining and the wind was gusting to 38 knots. The airplane landed with a left crosswind. During the landing roll, the left wing impacted the ground and the glider ground looped. The glider sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies and stated the accident could have been prevented if he had landed sooner. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
- C Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Convective weather-Thunderstorm-Decision related to condition - C
- C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- F Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Ability to respond/compensate - F
- F Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Ability to respond/compensate - F
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2013_CEN13CA410.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (thunderstorm). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
The Impact of Thunderstorms on Take-off Data in South Africa
Aviation and meteorology are entwined disciplines, as aviation occurs in the atmosphere. Prevailing weather conditions at take-off are of utmost importance to aviation.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Technical Memorandum (TM)
Thunderstorm hazards flight research: Storm hazards 1980 overview
A highly instrumented NASA F-106B aircraft, modified for the storm hazards mission and protected against direct lightning strikes, was used in conjunction with various ground based radar and lightning…
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Conference Proceedings
Operational evaluation of thunderstorm penetration test flights during project Storm Hazards '80
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is conducting a research project called Storm Hazards '80 in order to study the prediction, detectability and avoidance of the hazards of severe storm…
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Nowcasting Thunderstorm Anvil Clouds Over KSC/CCAFS
Electrified thunderstorm anvil clouds extend the threat of natural and triggered lightning to space launch and landing operations far beyond the immediate vicinity of thunderstorm cells.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Contractor Report (CR)
An Examination of Aviation Accidents Associated with Turbulence, Wind Shear and Thunderstorm
The focal point of the study reported here was the definition and examination of turbulence, wind shear and thunderstorm in relation to aviation accidents.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Observations of severe turbulence near thunderstorm tops
Data derived from the flight tapes of two airliners that experienced severe turbulence near thunderstorm tops are used to produce quantitative descriptions of the turbulence and its environment.
Browse the full corpus — academia portal ↗