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SEA93LA095

1993-04-10 · WENATCHEE, Washington, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport EAT

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

MISJUDGED WEATHER EVALUATION. FACTORS INCLUDE HIGH WINDS ENCOUNTERED ON APPROACH.

Factual narrative

THE GLIDER PILOT STATED THAT HE CONTINUED HIS FLIGHT WHEN OTHER PILOTS REPORTED A LARGE AREA OF CUMULUS DEVELOPMENT WITH VIRGA AND RAIN MOVING TOWARD THE AIRPORT. HE ELECTED TO EXTEND HIS FLIGHT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, THEN ON HIS RETURN TO THE AIRPORT, WINDS AND RAIN INCREASED IN THE VICINITY OF THE AIRPORT. ABOUT A HALF MILE FROM LANDING, HE DECIDED THAT HE WOULD BE UNABLE TO MAKE THE FIELD, AND LANDED IN A SMALL FIELD SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED ON AN UPSLOPE AND A LARGE ROCK BROKE THROUGH THE FUSELAGE, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1993_SEA93LA095.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.