WPR25FA232

NTSB accident investigation · Schleicher ASW27-18 · Morgan, UT · August 1, 2025

Accident · FatalClass 3 · FieldPreliminary report
Date
August 1, 2025, 13:58 local (19:58 UTC)
Place
Morgan, UT · mountainous terrain
Injuries
1 fatal
Damage
Destroyed
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N929JKSchleicher ASW27-18
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Investigation ongoing
Investigation class
Class 3
NTSB office
Western Pacific Region
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration
FAA report
20250801011689A
Case key
200683

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

On this page

Preliminary report

What NTSB knew early in the investigation. It may change in the final report.

On August 1, 2025, about 1358 mountain daylight time, a Schleicher ASW27-18, N929JK, was involved in an accident near Morgan, Utah. The pilot was fatally injured. The glider was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. A Rocky Mountain Soaring club representative reported that he and another member of the soaring club were going to fly a two-seat glider and join the accident pilot who was flying in a single-seat glider. The intent of the accident flight was for the 2 gliders to be towed from the Morgan County Airport (42U), Morgan, Utah, and be released in the vicinity of Big Mahogany Mountain (located about 3 ½ miles southeast of 42U). The accident glider was the first to be towed out and released near the mountain. The tow airplane returned to the airport and towed the second glider to the mountain. Once in the area of Big Mahogany Mountain the pilots of the second glider did not see the accident glider; they circled the area looking for the accident glider and were not able to contact the accident pilot via radio or see it on their radio-based collision avoidance system – Flight alARM (FLARM). A search of the area by the second glider revealed white smoke and glider debris on the west facing side of Big Mahogany Mountain. The pilot of the second glider performed a 360° turn and when they viewed the accident site again, the accident glider was engulfed in flames. The second glider alerted first responders to the accident location and returned to 42U. The pilots of the second glider reported that there were no radio calls made by the accident pilot following the release of the glider from the tow airplane. Examination of the accident site revealed that the glider impacted the west facing side of a mountain at an elevation of 6,625 ft mean sea level (msl). The accident site was on a slope of about 35 – 40° and consisted of loose shale, scrub brush, and trees. The glider was mostly consumed by the postcrash fire. The wreckage was recovered to a secure facility for further examination.

Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.

Aircraft

Registration
N929JK
Reported as
Schleicher ASW27-18
Category
Glider
Serial number
29007
Built
2006
Damage
Destroyed
Fire
On-Ground
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Departed
42U · Morgan, UT
Airport
42U · Morgan County

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.

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
150° at 3 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
88 °F, dew point 28 °F
Altimeter
30.23 inHg
Observed at
KHIF, 12 nm away
METAR
KHIF 011955Z AUTO 15003KT 10SM CLR 31/M02 A3023 RMK AO2 SLP167 T03091018

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.