What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Tuesday June 15, 2010 at 1533 mountain daylight time, N455S a Schleicher alexander gmbh & co. model ash 26 e glider piloted by privacy data omitted and N514TW a schempp-hirth model ventus 2CT glider piloted by privacy data omitted were involved in a mid-air collision approximately 75 miles northeast of Parowan Utah. Neither pilot was injured. Both pilots were the sole occupants of their respective gliders. N455S sustained substantial damage, but N514TW had only superficial minor damage. Both pilots were operating under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 in visual meteorological conditions. Both gliders departed Parowan, Utah about three hours prior to the collision, and Parowan was the planned final destination for both pilots. No flight plan had been filed. According to both pilots at the time of the accident both aircraft were participating in a glider competition task that required them to depart a point near Parowan, fly to a point about 90 miles northeast of Parowan, and then return to Parowan for landing. Both pilots were flying back to Parowan after reaching the turnaround point when they entered the same thermal and began to climb. During their first full 360 degree turn in the thermal, the left wing of N455S and the nose of N514TW came in contact. For N455S, the impart resulted in the separation of the outboard three feet of the left wing including the outboard two feet of the left aileron. In addition there was one foot of de-lamination of the leading edge skin from the wing spar on the left wing. For N514TW, the impact resulted in three small areas of minor superficial scratches on the underside of the aircraft nose. The pilots of both gliders were able to return to Parowan, Utah where they both completed uneventful landings.
As the FAA filed it
ON TUESDAY JUNE 15, 2010 AT 1533 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, N455S A SCHLEICHER ALEXANDER GMBH & CO. MODEL ASH 26 E GLIDER PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND N514TW A SCHEMPP-HIRTH MODEL VENTUS 2CT GLIDER PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WERE INVOLVED IN A MID-AIR COLLISION APPROXIMATELY 75 MILES NORTHEAST OF PAROWAN UTAH. NEITHER PILOT WAS INJURED. BOTH PILOTS WERE THE SOLE OCCUPANTS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE GLIDERS. N455S SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, BUT N514TW HAD ONLY SUPERFICIAL MINOR DAMAGE. BOTH PILOTS WERE OPERATING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. BOTH GLIDERS DEPARTED PAROWAN, UTAH ABOUT THREE HOURS PRIOR TO THE COLLISION, AND PAROWAN WAS THE PLANNED FINAL DESTINATION FOR BOTH PILOTS. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED.ACCORDING TO BOTH PILOTS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE PARTICIPATING IN A GLIDER COMPETITION TASK THAT REQUIRED THEM TO DEPART A POINT NEAR PAROWAN, FLY TO A POINT ABOUT 90 MILES NORTHEAST OF PAROWAN, AND THEN RETURN TO PAROWAN FOR LANDING. BOTH PILOTS WERE FLYING BACK TO PAROWAN AFTER REACHING THE TURNAROUND POINT WHEN THEY ENTERED THE SAME THERMAL AND BEGAN TO CLIMB. DURING THEIR FIRST FULL 360 DEGREE TURN IN THE THERMAL, THE LEFT WING OF N455S AND THE NOSE OF N514TW CAME IN CONTACT. FOR N455S, THE IMPART RESULTED IN THE SEPARATION OF THE OUTBOARD THREE FEET OF THE LEFT WING INCLUDING THE OUTBOARD TWO FEET OF THE LEFT AILERON. IN ADDITION THERE WAS ONE FOOT OF DE-LAMINATION OF THE LEADING EDGE SKIN FROM THE WING SPAR ON THE LEFT WING. FOR N514TW, THE IMPACT RESULTED IN THREE SMALL AREAS OF MINOR SUPERFICIAL SCRATCHES ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT NOSE. THE PILOTS OF BOTH GLIDERS WERE ABLE TO RETURN TO PAROWAN, UTAH WHERE THEY BOTH COMPLETED UNEVENTFUL LANDINGS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other aircraft in the event · 1
Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.
Other reports on N455S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.