N120MJ

On July 24, 1997, at 1708 hours Pacific daylight time, a Centrair ASW20F glider, N120MJ, collided with the ground while attempting to land in a field about 8 miles south of the Minden, Nevada, airport. The aircraft was owned and operated by the pilot and was participating in a race competition event. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The glider sustained substantial damage. The private pilot, the sole occupant, incurred serious injuries. The flight originated from Minden on the day of the accident at 1332 for the closed circuit time over distance competition.

In his written statement, the pilot said that as he was returning to Minden he encountered strong turbulence and downdrafts, and concluded he would not be able to safely reach the airport. He selected a field, and, as he got closer, realized that he had too much energy for a straight-in and not enough for a pattern. The pilot said he then deployed some drag devices and began making S-turns. The glider encountered a downdraft and touched down hard with a very high sink rate. Ground witnesses reported that very gusty winds existed at the time of the landing.

An Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness inspector examined the glider and noted that no discrepancies were found.