NTSB CAROL · Event
Event WPR14CA321
Registry · N643CA
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
CENTRAIR 101A
Seats / Engines
1 seats · 1 engine
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A87093
Registrant of record
FADDEN MICHAEL D
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot's failure to identify the proper landing surface which resulted in an off airstrip landing and collision with rough terrain.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while on downwind he elected to land on the grass runway parallel to the asphalt runway. As he crossed the threshold for the landing area, he realized he was landing onto a grass field next to the grass runway. With the glider too low to transition to the grass runway, the pilot continued to land onto the field. During the landing sequence, the glider impacted two culverts and sustained substantial damage to the fiberglass fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would preclude normal operation of the glider. The pilot reported that while on downwind he elected to land on the grass runway parallel to the asphalt runway. As he crossed the threshold for the landing area, he realized he was landing onto a grass field next to the grass runway. With the glider too low to transition to the grass runway, the pilot continued to land onto the field. During the landing sequence, the glider impacted two culverts and sustained substantial damage to the fiberglass fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would preclude normal operation of the glider. 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-Identification/recognition-Pilot - C
- — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Terrain-Rough terrain-Contributed to outcome
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2014_WPR14CA321.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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