- Date
- July 3, 1984, 14:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Ephrata, WA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19840703029582A19840703029581A
- Case key
- 39959
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The two gliders collided while thermaling in vicinity of each other while engaged in a contest. According to the plts they lost sight of each other while spiraling in the lift. Both acft landed safely. The collision was nose to tail.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N22HL
- Reported as
- Applebay Sailplanes Zuni II
- Category
- Glider
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William G Hill
- Departed
- EPH · Ephrata, WA
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.
- Registration
- N20UZ
- Reported as
- Schleicher ASW-20
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 20016
- Airframe hours
- 289
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ronald K. Ferguson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 29, 1983
- Departed
- EPH · Ephrata, WA
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N22HL
- Age
- 42
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 4,750 total · 750 in this make and model · 4,597 as pilot in command · 102 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N20UZ
- Age
- 32
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 876 total · 156 in this make and model · 817 as pilot in command · 55 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EPH, 9 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.