Posted on: Friday, April 22, 2005

Cause of glider crash unknown

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

A commercial glider plane had nearly completed its tour of the Mokule'ia area when it spun out of control and crashed April 6, killing the pilot and injuring two people, according to a preliminary report released yesterday by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The Schweizer SGS2-32 glider, owned and operated by Sailplane Ride Adventures Inc., was scheduled for a 20-minute scenic flight, the NTSB said. It was 17 minutes into the tour when the problems began, the report said.

The glider hit a hillside just south of Dillingham Airfield. The crash killed pilot Tyler Nelson, 22, and injured John Streich, 52, of Gig Harbor, Wash., and his daughter, Ashley, 12.

Sailplane Ride Adventures officials did not return phone calls yesterday. The NTSB could not be reached for further comment.

The preliminary report did not say what may have caused the crash or if pilot error was a factor.

The report confirmed earlier accounts that Nelson was relatively new to the flight profession. Nelson's family and friends had said the Wisconsin native did not express an interest in becoming a pilot until he moved to Hawai'i about six months ago.

Nelson received his student-pilot certificate on March 16 and a private-pilot certificate with a glider rating on March 24, the NTSB said. He obtained his commercial pilot certificate with a glider rating on March 26, 11 days before the crash, the report said.

As of April 5, the NTSB said, Nelson had logged 48.4 hours of flight time and 31.2 hours as "pilot-in-command."

In interviews with the Federal Aviation Administration, the Streichs said they were circling a hill and they thought they were headed back to the airfield, the NTSB said. The pilot crossed over a ridge to a valley to look at a waterfall when the glider "turned left and right in a gentle but accelerating manner," the report said. The glider pitched up and down, and Nelson then said they were "going in."

Another glider pilot said she saw Nelson's aircraft turn 45 degrees to the right, then left, and immediately enter "a spin to the left." She said the glider then rotated twice "before it entered a spin to the right." But she lost sight of the glider as it flew behind some trees.

After the crash, Nelson died by the time rescuers arrived. The Streichs had minor injuries.

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8090.