Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Morgan County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Morgan, Utah 84050
Saturday, September 21, 2013 15:30 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
When the student pilot realized his glider was high on final approach, he lowered the nose and deployed the spoilers, which increased the rate of descent and airspeed in excess of what was required. After the flight instructor had the student close the spoilers, the glider encountered turbulence and a sink rate that put them at a low approach altitude, about 150 feet above ground level. The flight instructor then took control and performed an off-airport landing. During the touchdown the glider impacted a large shrub bush with its right wing, slid sideways through a second bush, and then completed a 270-degree turn before coming to rest upright. The impact with the shrub resulted in substantial damage to the leading edge of the right wing. The flight instructor reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
An incorrect descent rate while on final approach as a result of the flight instructor's delayed remedial action, which lead to an off-field landing and impact with terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/21/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1530 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Morgan |
| Event State | UTAH |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 84050 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 480856N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1114600E |
| Event Location Airport | Morgan County Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 42U |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 30 |
| Airport Elevation | 5020 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 1130 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 272 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | OGD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4473 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 12 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| 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) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 15 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.8 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 31970 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Regional 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 | Nov 4 2013 11:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N54554 |
| NTSB Number | WPR13CA418 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | GROB |
| Aircraft Model | G 103 TWIN II |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3873-K-114 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1279 |
| Aircraft Category | Glider |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 0 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 3 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2085 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Utah Soaring Association |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Heber City |
| Aircraft Owner State | UT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 84032 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Daniel R Thirkill |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Farmington |
| Operator State | UT |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 84025 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 42U |
| Departure City | Morgan |
| Departure State | UT |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1440 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 42U |
| Destination City | Morgan |
| Destination State | UT |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 4 2013 11:50PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 21 |
| Runway Length | 3904 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |