- Date
- July 25, 2021, 15:38 local (21:38 UTC)
- Place
- Levan, UT
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4446YBurkhart Grob G 103 Twin II
- Defining event
- Enroute: Loss of lift
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20210725011849A
- Case key
- 103567
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 an off-airport landing and a collision with a fence.
Findings · 3
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 pilot reported that during the flight, the glider encountered insufficient lift to maintain flight and he decided to land off airport. He performed a high recon of the area and selected a landing site on the north side of a local reservoir, along the shoreline. While on downwind for the intended landing area, he did not see any obstacles, and performed a teardrop turn to final. The glider touched down in the approximate area he intended to, however, during landing roll, the glider collided with a barbed wire fence and sustained substantial damage to the right wing and the rear canopy. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4446Y
- Reported as
- Burkhart Grob G 103 Twin II
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 3825
- Built
- 1983
- Airframe hours
- 4,091.2
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Utah Soaring Association
- Registered owner
- Utah Soaring Association
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 2, 2021
- Departed
- U14 · Nehi, UT
- Equipment
- None
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
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 22, 2021
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 2,340 total · 504 in this make and model · 2,172 as pilot in command · 96 in the last 90 days · 41 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 17 total · 17 in this make and model · 17 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KOGD, 22 nm away
- METAR
- KOGD 252253Z 32006KT 7SM CLR 35/00 A3002 RMK AO2 SLP095 T03500000
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 12, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.