Stemme Gmbh & Co S10 VT accident near Telluride, CO
On August 24, 2016, a Stemme Gmbh & Co S10 VT (glider) was involved in an accident near Telluride, CO. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 24, 2016
- Place
- Telluride, CO
- Aircraft
- Stemme Gmbh & Co S10 VT · Glider
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 37.893°N, 107.833°W
- NTSB ID
- 20160824X81825
Official records · CEN16FA331
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn August 24, 2016, about 1410 mountain daylight time, a Stemme Gmbh S10-VT self-launching (powered) glider, N5021, was substantially damaged during an in-flight collision with trees and terrain near Telluride, Colorado. The pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries. The glider was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a local sightseeing flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not operated on a flight plan. The flight originated from the Telluride Regional Airport (TEX), Telluride, Colorado, about 1315. A witness reported seeing the powered glider climbing out from TEX. The engine "sounded perfect" at a constant power setting at the time. About 15 minutes later, he heard the sound of a "strained engine." It sounded as if there was a "strain on the propeller," similar to a propeller-driven airplane maneuvering during aerobatic flight. About 15 seconds later, the sound of the engine stopped. He subsequently overheard radio communications of mountain staff personnel responding to a downed aircraft. A second witness observed the powered glider fly by with the engine running. His co-worker commented that the glider seemed to be flying unusually low. It subsequently went out of sight below the tree line. About 10 seconds later, they heard a loud noise, which they initially attributed to work going on in the area. However, with thoughts of the low flying glider, he decided to drive to a nearby ridge where he observed the accident site. He reported the accid
Probable cause
The pilot's encounter with a downdraft that exceeded the climb performance of the powered glider and resulted in his inability to maintain clearance from the trees. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to fly near building clouds and rain shower activity.
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Browse: Colorado
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
