Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Junction Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Marysvale, Utah 84750
Saturday, July 17, 2010 16:10 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While returning from a flight with a group of other gliders, the accident pilot reported to another pilot flying in the group that his glider was losing a significant amount of altitude and that he would be diverting to another airport. The pilot subsequently reported that the glider lost additional altitude and that he might need to land in a field west of a nearby town. The wreckage was found the following day on a small plateau in an inverted position at the 7,800-foot level on the side of a slope. The debris field consisted of components of the glider, which were all contained near the main wreckage. Strong winds and lenticular clouds were reported near the area of the accident site. It is likely that the glider encountered insufficient atmospheric lift to maintain soaring flight, and the pilot was not able to maintain clearance from terrain.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The glider's encounter with insufficient atmospheric lift to maintain soaring flight.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/17/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1610 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Marysvale |
| Event State | UTAH |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 84750 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 382540N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1121802W |
| Event Location Airport | Junction Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | U13 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 20 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 6069 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2053 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BCE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 7590 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 33 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 270 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.28 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30043 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA AMN Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 2 2012 4:34PM |
| User who most recently changed record | snyg |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N15LQ |
| NTSB Number | WPR10LA356 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PARKER |
| Aircraft Model | RS-15 SAILPLANE |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 25 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 750 |
| Aircraft Category | Glider |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 0 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WILLS MICHAEL L |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | SPRING VALLEY |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 91977-4606 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Michael L. Wills |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | SPRING VALLEY |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 91977-4606 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 1L9 |
| Departure City | Parowan |
| Departure State | UT |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1230 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 1L9 |
| Destination City | Parowan |
| Destination State | UT |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 21 2012 3:24PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |