Glaser Dirks DG 300 ELAN accident near Wilkeson, WA
On August 25, 2019, a Glaser Dirks DG 300 ELAN (glider) was involved in an accident near Wilkeson, WA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 25, 2019
- Place
- Wilkeson, WA
- Aircraft
- Glaser Dirks DG 300 ELAN · Glider
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 47.129°N, 122.056°W
- NTSB ID
- 20190826X65749
Official records · WPR19FA241
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn August 25, 2019, about 1503 Pacific daylight time, an experimental Glaser-Dirks DG 300 glider, N300GG, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Buckley, Washington. The pilot was fatally injured. The glider was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Recorded data from an onboard flight computer revealed that the accident flight began at 1327 and ended at about 1503. The data showed that the glider was towed northeast of the departure airport, and the pilot released from the tow airplane about 4,100 ft mean sea level (msl). The pilot flew within this area to the west, followed by a turn to the southwest. The data showed that the glider’s altitude fluctuated between 4,200 ft msl and 2,133 ft msl during the flight. At 1448, about 15 minutes before the accident, the glider was about one-half mile northwest of Burnett Landing Airport (WN15), Wilkeson, Washington (about 8 nautical miles southwest of the departure airport), at an altitude of 3,400 ft msl. The glider continued southwest for about 5 miles and descended to an altitude of about 2,230 ft msl before turning to the northeast toward WN15. During this time, the glider made four separate circling turns, during which its altitude increased slightly before the glider continued to descend. Following the fourth turn, the glider turned left directly toward WN15 at 1,690 ft msl and arrived over WN15 at 1501 at an altitude of 1,365 ft msl, about 565 ft above ground level. The glider circled WN15 about two and a half times while descending. The last
Probable cause
The pilot’s delayed decision to land following a loss of thermal lift, which resulted in collision with trees during the landing approach.
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Browse: Washington
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
