N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Lehi, Utah 84043
Sunday, June 22, 2014 14:30 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

On June 22, 2014, about 1430 mountain daylight time, an ASC Spirit Glider, N127JK, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain, about 1 mile southeast of the Cedar Valley Airport (UT10), 10 miles west of Lehi, Utah. The glider was owned and being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal local flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The solo pilot received fatal injuries. The glider departed Cedar Valley Airport (UT10), about 1350. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on June 23, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air safety inspector who visited the accident site, said witnesses reported to him that the glider was circling to land on runway 35. During the descent the pilot made several steep turns. When the airplane was about 40 to 50 feet above the ground the right wing dropped and the glider suddenly nosed into the ground short of the runway. Prior to the accident, the pilot of the accident airplane was heard over the airport's universal communications radio frequency (UNICOM) reporting his position and intentions; no mechanical anomalies were reported.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/22/2014
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1430
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City Lehi
Event State UTAH
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 84043
Event Date Year 2014
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport N/A
Event Location Nearest Airport ID --
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID --
Elevation of weather observation facility --
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation --
Lighting Conditions --
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) 3
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) --
Variable Wind Indicator --
Wind Speed (knots) --
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator --
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
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) --
NTSB Notification Source NWM ROC
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information --
Date of most recent change to record Jul 3 2014 11:58AM
User who most recently changed record stam
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N127JK
NTSB Number WPR14LA263
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 KNELL
Aircraft Model ASC SPIRIT
Aircraft Series Identifier NO SERIES
Aircraft Serial Number 0004
Certified Max Gross Weight --
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 --
Number of Engines --
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection --
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name KNELL JEFF K
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City SALT LAKE CITY
Aircraft Owner State UT
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 841215728
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name KNELL JEFF K
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City SALT LAKE CITY
Operator State UT
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 841215728
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code --
Departure City Lehi
Departure State UT
Departure Country USA
Departure Time --
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code --
Destination City Lehi
Destination State UT
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jul 3 2014 11:58AM
User who most recently changed record stam
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 --