What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On cross country flight crashed in mountainous area. (.19) on June 15, 1996, at 1730 hours pacific daylight time, a burkhart Grob flugzeugbau G102, N154SS, collided with rough terrain during an off-airstrip forced landing approximately 11 miles southeast of Mesquite, Nevada. The glider broke into several pieces and was destroyed. The private pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight which originated from llano, California, at 1100. According to the pilot's son, during the accident flight his father and 11 other gliders were attempting to fly nonstop 500 kilometers from their point of departure. No communication difficulties or glider control problems were reported during periodic radio contracts with his father. Other glider pilots flying along nearby routes experienced turbulence and occasional downdrafts. The pilot's son further reported that the entire glider was found near a ridgeline, and it appeared as though his father had failed to locate sufficient lift to continue his flight to the Mesquite municipal airport. (.4) the pilot and 11 other glider pilots planned to fly nonstop on a 500 k ilometer flight from their point of departure, after an aero tow to 7,000 feet mean sea level. No communication difficulties or control problems were reported during periodic radio contacts between the glider pilot and the ground crew. En route, some of the glider pilots experienced turbulence and occasional downdrafts. Subsequently, the glider collided with rough terrain near a ridge line. There were no witnesses to the accident. The pilot's son indicated that his father was apparently unable to locate sufficient lift to continue his flight for an additional 11 miles to the destination airport.
As the FAA filed it
ON CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT CRASHED IN MOUNTAINOUS AREA. (.19) ON JUNE 15, 1996, AT 1730 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BURKHART GROB FLUGZEUGBAU G102, N154SS, COLLIDED WITH ROUGH TERRAIN DURING AN OFF-AIRSTRIP FORCED LANDING APPROXIMATELY 11 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MESQUITE, NEVADA. THE GLIDER BROKE INTO SEVERAL PIECES AND WAS DESTROYED. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WHICH ORIGINATED FROM LLANO, CALIFORNIA, AT 1100. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S SON, DURING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT HIS FATHER AND 11 OTHER GLIDERS WERE ATTEMPTING TO FLY NONSTOP 500 KILOMETERS FROM THEIR POINT OF DEPARTURE. NO COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES OR GLIDER CONTROL PROBLEMS WERE REPORTED DURING PERIODIC RADIO CONTRACTS WITH HIS FATHER. OTHER GLIDER PILOTS FLYING ALONG NEARBY ROUTES EXPERIENCED TURBULENCE AND OCCASIONAL DOWNDRAFTS. THE PILOT'S SON FURTHER REPORTED THAT THE ENTIRE GLIDER WAS FOUND NEAR A RIDGELINE, AND IT APPEARED AS THOUGH HIS FATHER HAD FAILED TO LOCATE SUFFICIENT LIFT TO CONTINUE HIS FLIGHT TO THE MESQUITE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. (.4) THE PILOT AND 11 OTHER GLIDER PILOTS PLANNED TO FLY NONSTOP ON A 500 K ILOMETER FLIGHT FROM THEIR POINT OF DEPARTURE, AFTER AN AERO TOW TO 7,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL. NO COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES OR CONTROL PROBLEMS WERE REPORTED DURING PERIODIC RADIO CONTACTS BETWEEN THE GLIDER PILOT AND THE GROUND CREW. EN ROUTE, SOME OF THE GLIDER PILOTS EXPERIENCED TURBULENCE AND OCCASIONAL DOWNDRAFTS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE GLIDER COLLIDED WITH ROUGH TERRAIN NEAR A RIDGE LINE. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT'S SON INDICATED THAT HIS FATHER WAS APPARENTLY UNABLE TO LOCATE SUFFICIENT LIFT TO CONTINUE HIS FLIGHT FOR AN ADDITIONAL 11 MILES TO THE DESTINATION AIRPORT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.