History of Flight
On July 31, 2010, about 1450 mountain daylight time, a Glaser Dirks DG-300 experimental racing glider, N30AS, was substantially damaged after impacting terrain while maneuvering near Morgan, Utah. The private pilot, the registered owner and sole occupant, was killed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The local flight departed Morgan County Airport (42U) about 1407.
A flight instructor who was flying in the same area reported air-to-air communication with the accident pilot. The accident pilot indicated he was climbing between 300 and 500 feet per minute at altitudes between 7,600 and 7,800 feet mean sea level (msl). The instructor last heard from the pilot when the accident pilot reported climbing nicely. Later, while returning to the airport, the instructor learned the accident pilot had not returned. He observed wreckage in a canyon, later confirmed as the accident glider. The wreckage was located about 6.6 nautical miles southeast of 42U, at an elevation of about 6,500 feet msl.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 55, held a private pilot certificate for gliders, issued on December 11, 2007.
Aircraft Information
The Glaser Dirks DG-300 is a Standard Class single-seat high performance glider built of glass-reinforced plastic. The accident glider, serial number 3E14, was classified as experimental in the exhibition racing category. It was manufactured in 1984 and certified as airworthy on April 25, 1984.
Meteorological Information
At 1450, from Ogden-Hinckley Airport, about 17 nautical miles northwest of the accident site, wind was variable at 5 knots, visibility 10 miles, sky clear, temperature 34 degrees Celsius, dew point 9 degrees Celsius, and altimeter 29.92 inches of Mercury.
Flight Recorder Information
The glider was equipped with a Cambridge Aero Instruments (CAI) Model 302 Direct Digital Variometer (DDV) that recorded flight data and GPS positions. The unit was damaged but data was recovered. The track began at 1407:20 MDT at the airport. The final fix was at 1450:02 MDT with a groundspeed of 40 knots. About seven minutes earlier, groundspeed was about 75 knots. During the last two minutes, groundspeed fluctuated. The data showed the glider took off, thermalled, and proceeded south. From about 1435 to impact, the glider was in a constant descent. A Hewlett Packard iPAQ h5555 Pocket PC was also found but damaged beyond data recovery.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The glider came to rest in a remote canyon at 41 degrees 04.350 minutes north latitude, 111 degrees 39.720 minutes west longitude, elevation about 6,500 feet msl. The entire glider was located at the impact site with no linear distribution. The nose was buried about two feet into the ground, and the wreckage rested on a southeast heading. An FAA inspector reported that the impact angle was steep, consistent with a stall/spin, and no anomalies were found that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on the pilot determined the cause of death as blunt force injuries. Toxicological tests were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, volatiles, and tested drugs.