NTSB CAROL · Event
Event NYC04LA141
Registry · N21VT
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
SMITH AEROSTAR 600
Year of manufacture
1974 · 30 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING TI0-540 SER (310 hp)
Seats / Engines
6 seats · 2 engines
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A1B916
Registrant of record
CLE AVIATION LLC
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot's improper pre-flight and in-flight planning, which resulted in a forced landing after experiencing a loss of thermal lift. A factor was the loss of thermal lift.
Factual narrative
On June 16, 2004, at 1720 eastern daylight time, a Schleicher ASK-21, N21VT, was substantially damaged during an off airport landing in Warren, Vermont. The two certificated private pilots received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the pilot-in-command, the purpose of the flight was to practice cross-country gliding techniques. The pilots departed from the Warren-Sugarbush Airport (0B7), Warren, Vermont, flew about 40 miles to the north, then 20 miles to the southeast, and finally 25 miles to the southwest to return to the airport. The lift was both thermal and ridge lift, with the glider experiencing an average maximum height of 2,800 feet above the ground. After flying for approximately 2 hours, as the pilots were returning to the airport, the wind "went southwest at 5 knots," decreasing the available lift. Approximately 4 miles from the airport, it became apparent that they were too low to make it to the airport, and they chose a field to land in. While on approach to the field, "persistent sink" made attaining the field "marginal," and it became necessary to increase the pitch of the glider to clear a 15-foot tall tree. As a result, the glider stalled and "mushed" to the ground. The winds reported at the Edward F Knapp State Airport (MPV), Montpelier, Vermont, at 1651, were from 330 degrees at 7 knots. After flying for approximately 2 hours, as the pilots were returning to the airport, the wind "went southwest at 5 knots," decreasing the available lift. Approximately 4 miles from the airport, it became apparent that they were too low to make it to the airport, and they chose a field to land in. While on approach to the field, "persistent sink" made attaining the field "marginal," and it became necessary to increase the pitch of the glider to clear a 15-foot tall tree. As a result, the glider stalled and "mushed" to the ground. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2004_NYC04LA141.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 (stall). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- NASA NTRS 2026 · Conference Paper
Computational Analysis of Steady State Aerodynamics of Transonic Truss-Braced Wing Configuration in Deep Stall
This study presents a computational investigation of steady state aerodynamics of the Subsonic Ultra-Green Aircraft Research (SUGAR) Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) configuration over a wide range …
- arXiv 2023 · arXiv preprint
Automating Bird Diverter Installation through Multi-Aerial Robots and Signal Temporal Logic Specifications
This paper tackles the task assignment and trajectory generation problem for bird diverter installation using a fleet of multi-rotors.
- arXiv 2023 · arXiv preprint
Variation of Critical Crystallization Pressure for the Formation of Square Ice in Graphene Nanocapillaries
Two-dimensional square ice in graphene nanocapillaries at room temperature is a fascinating phenomenon and has been confirmed experimentally.
- arXiv 2023 · arXiv preprint
Polycrystallinity enhances stress build-up around ice
Damage caused by freezing wet, porous materials is a widespread problem, but is hard to predict or control. Here, we show that polycrystallinity makes a great difference to the stress build-up process…
- arXiv 2022 · arXiv preprint
Enhanced Prediction of Three-dimensional Finite Iced Wing Separated Flow Near Stall
Icing on three-dimensional wings causes severe flow separation near stall. Standard improved delayed detached eddy simulation (IDDES) is unable to correctly predict the separating reattaching flow due…
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2021 · Journal article (JAAER)
Analysis on the Negative Emotional, Physiological, and Cognitive Responses Elicited from of the Activation of a Stall Alarm
Failing to identify an aerodynamic stall can lead to the inability of an aircraft to sustain flight. To warn pilots of an impending or fully-developed stall, many aircraft have safety devices installe…
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