Amateur-built SOLITARE accident near Wellington, Colorado, January 29, 2011
On January 29, 2011 at about 10:15 pm local time, a amateur-built SOLITARE (glider), registered N15XP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Wellington, Colorado (Owl Canyon Gliderport airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The glider pilot’s misjudgment while approaching to land, which resulted in an off-airport landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 29, 2011 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Wellington, Colorado · Owl Canyon Gliderport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SOLITARE
- Registration
- N15XP · registry record · serial 30
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The glider pilot reported he was returning to land when he noticed another glider waiting for departure on the runway. He elected to land instead on another runway that required that he fly further. The pilot said that he turned on the base leg of the traffic pattern too far away from the intended runway and that he did not anticipate the substantial downdraft and very strong headwind that he encountered on final approach. The glider landed approximately 500 feet short of the intended runway and impacted terrain and a railroad embankment, causing substantial damage to the glider's fuselage and right wing.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Air traffic event during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Landing area undershoot during landing defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Sudden wind shift › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 784 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 682 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 23, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 377 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 22, 2010
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: 4CO2 Wellington CO at 9:55 pm
- Destination: 4CO2 Wellington CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 1,800 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 25 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.