Schleicher ASW-27 accident near Elbert, Colorado, June 16, 2013
On June 16, 2013 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Schleicher ASW-27 (glider), registered N72EM, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Elbert, Colorado (Kelly Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while landing in gusting crosswind conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's delayed return to the airport.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 16, 2013 · about 8:15 pm local time · cases in 2013
- Place
- Elbert, Colorado · Kelly Airpark · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASW-27 · all ASW-27s on the register
- Registration
- N72EM · registry record · serial 27193
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In a written statement, the pilot said he departed in his glider with an observed thunderstorm approximately 50 miles from the airport. About 2 hours later, after hearing that other glider pilots had returned to the airport due to the approaching storm, he returned as well. During the approach to the airport, it was raining and the wind was gusting to 38 knots. The airplane landed with a left crosswind. During the landing roll, the left wing impacted the ground and the glider ground looped. The glider sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies and stated the accident could have been prevented if he had landed sooner.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Convective weather › Thunderstorm › Decision related to condition
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Ability to respond/compensate
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,384 hours in all; 363 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 993 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 1,102 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: CO15 Elbert CO
- Destination: CO15 Elbert CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 3,800 ft by 36 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 27 knots, gusting 33
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 7:34 pm from CO15
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on July 26, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N72EM on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Schleicher ASW-27 90 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Schleicher 506 aircraft on the register
- Kelly Air Park Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Colorado 2,860 since 1982 · 383 in the last ten years
- Colorado 7,483 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN13CA410.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.