First Identifiable Point Of Contact Were 3 Power Transmission Lines About 60 Ft Above The Surface

Location: Boulder City, NV Accident Number: WPR22FA109
Date & Time: February 24, 2022, 13:40 Local Registration: N588V
Aircraft: Distar CZ AS D 13/15 SUN
DANCER Injuries: 1 Fatal Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Positioning

On February 24, 2022, about 1340 Pacific standard time, a Distar CZ AS, Sun Dancer, N588V, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Boulder City, Nevada. The pilot was fatally injured. The motor glider was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 repositioning flight. First responders reported that, it appeared that the motor glider had impacted 3 power lines. The power lines were about 60 ft above the surface, running east to west, black in color with debris entangled within the power lines. The debris field was located to the south of the power line and the main wreckage was nearly directly below the black in color power lines.

Recorded Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) and L3Harris' OpsVue data showed that the motor glider departed from the Boulder City Municipal Airport at 2115:52 on a westerly heading, ascended to 2,850 ft mean sea level (msl) before a left turn was initiated. At 2117:58, the motor glider continued to ascend in a left turn and reached an altitude of 3,100 ft msl before a descent began. The data showed that the motor glider continued descending on an easterly heading until contact was lost at 2119:35, at an altitude of 2,375 ft, about 1 mile northwest of the accident site.

Examination of the accident site revealed that, the main wreckage (cockpit and forward fuselage) came to rest upright on a heading of about 172° magnetic, at an altitude of 1,869 ft msl. The first identifiable point of contact (FIPC) were 3 power transmission lines about 60 ft above the surface, about 1.5 mile southwest of the departure end of runway 27. The power lines were black in color with entangled debris within the power transmission lines. The debris field was located on flat, desert terrain, and was about 285 ft in length and 100 ft wide, as seen in figure 1. The main wreckage was located beneath the FIPC. Wreckage, to include system components, flight control surfaces was scattered throughout the debris path.

The wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov