Rolladen-Schneider Ohg LS3-A N800JM
25 June 2009 · Cedar Valley, Utah, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 25 June 2009 at about 18:40 local time, a Rolladen-Schneider Ohg LS3-A registered N800JM, operated by Steven G. Rathbun, was involved in an accident near Cedar Valley, Utah, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 18:40
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Cedar Valley, Utah, United States
- Nearest airport
- West Desert Airpark (UT99)
- Coordinates
- 40.2425, -112.0928
- Aircraft
- Rolladen-Schneider Ohg LS3-A
- Registration
- N800JM
- Category
- Glider
- Operator
- Steven G. Rathbun
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Cedar Valley → Cedar Valley
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR09LA313
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot inadvertently applied the tow release handle.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The glider was being towed aloft by a tow-plane. Takeoff procedures for the glider required that the flaps be set at 0 degrees until aileron effectiveness, and then the flaps should be set at 10 degrees. The pilot had 0 degrees of flaps selected, and during the ground roll, the left wing was dragging on the ground surface. He attempted to align the glider with the runway and removed his hand from the flap handle and placed it on the tow release handle, intending to abort the takeoff. He leveled the wings and the glider lifted from the runway. The pilot gained control of the glider and intended to extend the flaps 10 degrees; however, his hand was still on the tow release handle and he unintentionally pulled the tow release at 75 to 100 feet above ground level. During the forced landing, the pilot misjudged the flare, the glider landed hard, and the pilot sustained serious spinal injuries.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Rolladen-Schneider Ohg LS3 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Sep 2012 | Rolladen-Schneider Ohg LS3-A | Navasota, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 May 2016 | Rolladen-Schneider Ohg LS3 | Blairstown, New Jersey, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Dec 2009 | Beechcraft 35-33 | Lehi, Utah, United States | Mark Dwayne Thorn | Serious injuries | - |
| 20 Apr 2009 | Cessna T210L | Moab, Utah, United States | Arrow West Aviation Inc | No injuries | - |
| 21 Feb 2009 | Piper PA-22-160 | Ogden, Utah, United States | Carl William Shepard | No injuries | - |
| 24 Oct 2009 | Golden Circle TIERRA I | Jensen, Utah, United States | Kerry S. Crofts | No injuries | - |
| 25 Apr 2009 | Lockheed P2V-7 | Stockton, Utah, United States | Neptune Aviation Services Inc | Fatal | 3 |
| 3 Mar 2009 | Stephenson ZODIAC 601 XL | Antelope Island, Utah, United States | Kirk Babbitt | Fatal | 1 |