Schleicher ASW 28 18E accident near Ephrata, WA
On May 26, 2017, a Schleicher ASW 28 18E (glider) was involved in an accident near Ephrata, WA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- May 26, 2017
- Place
- Ephrata, WA
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASW 28 18E · Glider
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 47.329°N, 119.710°W
- NTSB ID
- 20170526X21127
Official records · WPR17FA107
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Garmin InReach Satellite Communication Track Information: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 26, 2017, about 1523 Pacific daylight time, a Schleicher ASW 28-18E motorglider, N63KR, impacted terrain about 9 miles west-northwest of Ephrata Municipal Airport (EPH), Ephrata, Washington. The pilot was fatally injured, and the glider sustained substantial damage. The glider was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight, which originated from EPH about 1420. The pilot obtained a tow to altitude from an airplane operated by a soaring club at EPH. The pilot's towcard indicated that he released from tow at an altitude of 3,000 ft above ground level (agl). The glider was equipped with a PowerFLARM portable GPS device/transponder, which documented its flight track, speed, and altitude. Data retrieved from the device showed a flight track that began northwest of EPH about 1436. The glider made several 360° turns and flew in a generally westward direction until it was about 15 nautical miles from the airport. The glider then established a generally eastward route of flight, again making several 360° turns as it tracked east. The data ended about 9 miles west-northwest of EPH about 1523. The glider reached its highest altitude of the flight, about 8,500 ft GPS altitude, about 1447; after that, the glider slowly descended until it leveled off temporarily about 3,900 ft before it continued to slowly descend until the end of the data. Throughout the flight, the g
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain glider control while attempting to conduct an off-airport landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.
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Browse: Washington · Schleicher aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
