Event LAX95LA215

Factual narrative

On June 18, 1995, about 1600 hours Pacific daylight time, an Issoire Siren PIK-30 motorized glider, N30PK, collided with mountainous terrain near Dayton, Nevada, while engaged in a soaring competition. The glider was owned and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the certificated commercial pilot, the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries. The flight originated from Minden, Nevada, at 1230 on the day of the accident. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors from the Reno, Nevada Flight Standards District Office, responded to the accident site, examined the glider, and interviewed persons with knowledge about the accident. According to the inspectors, the glider was taking part in a soaring competition. Strong up and downdrafts, with winds as high as 34 knots, were reported in the area of the accident. The pilot was experiencing difficulty maintaining adequate terrain clearance due to the downdrafts, and was in the process of manually extending the engine from its fuselage storage location when the glider collided with the terrain. The inspectors reported that the engine is stored in a fuselage bay behind the pilot's seat and must be extended by use of a handcrank located on the right side of the cockpit. The engine was found about halfway extended from its storage bay. From the initial ground contact point to the glider, the inspectors measured a 20-foot-long ground scar. Vertical crush damage was noted to the bottom of the glider. No control system malfunctions were observed during the examination. FAA INSPECTORS EXAMINED THE GLIDER AND INTERVIEWED PERSONS WITH KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE ACCIDENT. THE GLIDER WAS TAKING PART IN A SOARING COMPETITION. STRONG UP AND DOWNDRAFTS, WITH WINDS AS HIGH AS 34 KNOTS, WERE REPORTED IN THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT WAS EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING ADEQUATE TERRAIN CLEARANCE DUE TO THE DOWNDRAFTS, AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF MANUALLY EXTENDING THE ENGINE FROM ITS FUSELAGE STORAGE LOCATION WHEN THE GLIDER COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN. THE INSPECTORS REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE IS STORED IN A FUSELAGE BAY BEHIND THE PILOT'S SEAT AND MUST BE EXTENDED BY USE OF A HANDCRANK LOCATED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE COCKPIT. THE ENGINE WAS FOUND ABOUT HALFWAY EXTENDED FROM ITS STORAGE BAY. FROM THE INITIAL GROUND CONTACT POINT TO THE GLIDER, THE INSPECTORS MEASURED A 20-FOOT-LONG GROUND SCAR. VERTICAL CRUSH DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE GLIDER. NO CONTROL SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS WERE OBSERVED DURING THE EXAMINATION. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12