What happened
On August 1, 2025, at approximately 13:58 mountain daylight time, a Schleicher ASW27-18 glider, registration N929JK, crashed near Morgan, Utah. The flight was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight.
According to a representative from the Rocky Mountain Soaring club, the plan involved towing two gliders from Morgan County Airport (42U) to the vicinity of Big Mahogany Mountain. The accident aircraft was the first to be towed and released near the mountain. After the tow airplane returned to the airport to pick up a second two-seat glider, the pilots of the second aircraft arrived in the area but could not locate the first glider. They were unable to establish radio contact or detect the aircraft via the Flight alARM (FLARM) collision avoidance system.
During a search of the area, the second glider's crew observed white smoke and debris on the west-facing slope of Big Mahogany Mountain. Upon performing a 360-degree turn, the crew observed the aircraft engulfed in flames. The second glider's pilots alerted first responders and returned to the airport. There were no radio communications recorded from the pilot of N929JK following the release from the tow plane.
The investigation
Investigation of the accident site showed the glider impacted a mountain slope at an elevation of 6,625 feet mean sea level. The terrain at the impact point consisted of trees, scrub brush, and loose shale on a slope of approximately 35 to 40 degrees. The aircraft was largely destroyed by a post-crash fire. The wreckage was moved to a secure facility for examination.
Findings
The pilot sustained 1 fatal injury.