- Date
- May 30, 2018, 14:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Nephi, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N428USSchleicher ASW
- Defining event
- Landing: Abrupt maneuver
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 5, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180530006359A
- Case key
- 97372
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The glider’s encounter with atmospheric conditions where the lift was not sufficient to maintain flight, which resulted in a hard off-airport landing.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The glider pilot reported that, while en route on a local flight, the "lift died," and he decided to return to the departure airport. He was about 3 to 4 miles from the airport when the glider experienced a "moderate to severe sink," and he decided to set up to land in a nearby field. He added that, about 200 ft above the ground, the glider encountered a strong updraft that lasted between 15 and 30 seconds, and "even with full spoilers, it was obvious [he] would not be able to land." He stowed the spoilers, pitched up slightly, and focused on another landing site. The pilot further reported that, during touchdown at the alternate landing site, he noticed there were "sprinkler pipes and wheels." He added, "it looked like [he] would still hit the sprinkler pipes," so to avoid the industrial farm sprinklers ahead, the pilot abruptly pitched the nose down and landed hard on the field. The glider sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the glider reported that, while enroute on a local flight, the "lift died" and he decided to return to the departure airport. He was about 3-4 miles from the airport when the glider experienced a "moderate to severe sink" and decided to set up to land in a nearby field. At approximately 200 ft. above the ground, the glider encountered a strong updraft that lasted 15-30 seconds, and "even with full spoilers, it was obvious [he] would not be able to land". He stowed the spoilers, pitched up slightly and focused on another landing site. The pilot further reported, that during touchdown at the alternate landing site, he noticed there were "sprinkler pipes and wheels". He added, "it looked like [he] would still hit the sprinkler pipes", so, to avoid the industrial farm sprinklers ahead, the pilot abruptly pitched the nose down and landed hard on the field. The glider sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N428US
- Reported as
- Schleicher ASW (20C)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 20628
- Built
- 1983
- Airframe hours
- 1,600
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · May 28, 2017
- Departed
- U14 · Nephi, UT
- Destination
- U14 · Nephi, UT
- Airport
- U14 · Nephi Muni, runway 17, 6,300 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Satellite tracking device
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 53
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 13,800 total · 100 in this make and model · 5,100 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 23,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- KPVU, 31 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 26, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.