NTSB CAROL · Event
Event WPR24LA216
Registry · N517PB
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
ALEXANDER SCHLEICHER GMBH & CO ASH 31 MI
Year of manufacture
2018 · 6 years old at event
Engine
AUSTRO IAE 50R-AA (56 hp)
Seats / Engines
1 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20180721
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A67CB7
Registrant of record
KETCHAM JAMES S TRUSTEE
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The glider’s encounter with atmospheric conditions where the lift was not sufficient to maintain?flight.
Factual narrative
The pilot of a powered glider reported that, after the engine had been shut down and the propeller stowed, he encountered more downdrafts?than expected. The glider did not have sufficient altitude to reach the airport or to re-deploy the engine. During the forced landing on rough terrain, a wing impacted vegetation and ground looped, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the powered glider that would have precluded normal operation. 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).
- — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Temp/humidity/pressure-Thermal lifting-Effect on operation
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2024_WPR24LA216.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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