# Accident 20100615036242A: Schleicher ASH 26 E, Parowan, UT, June 15, 2010

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 15, 2010, 15:33 local time
- Place: Parowan, UT
- Airport: Parowan
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Collision: Midair collision
- Phase of flight: Maneuver
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.9800° N, 111.5317° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.9800&lon=-111.5317&mi=10
- Aircraft: N455S, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N455S) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Schleicher Alexander ASH 26 E (registry code 05624RU, https://openairdocs.org/model/schleicher-alexander-ash-26-e) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: SCHLEICHER ASH 26 E
- Reported engine: NONE NONE
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 4,350 total, 1,300 in this make and model, 42 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR10LA294](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10LA294) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100615036242A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## Other aircraft in the event

- N514TW, Schempp-Hir VENTUS 2CT: [Incident 20100615036332I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100615036332I)

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR10LA294](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10LA294), Jun 15, 2010: Schleicher Alexander ASH 26 E (N455S), Parowan, UT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to see and avoid the other glider climbing in the same thermal.

## Other reports on N455S (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20180923014029I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180923014029I), Sep 23, 2018: Schleicher Alexander Gmbh & Co ASH 26 E (N455S), Warner Springs, CA, Minor damage. During climb about 400 to 500 feet the engine RPM dropped dramatically. The pilot received a call from the ground indicating they thought they saw smoke from…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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