Schreder RS-15 accident near Jackson, Wyoming, July 1, 2002
On July 1, 2002 at about 10:50 pm local time, a Schreder RS-15 (glider), an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N33515, was destroyed in an accident near Jackson, Wyoming. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from the mountain summit.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 1, 2002 · about 10:50 pm local time
- Place
- Jackson, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schreder RS-15, amateur-built
- Registration
- N33515 · no longer on the register · serial 10
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The glider was observed circling the summit block of Grand Teton Mountain. A witness reported seeing the glider proceed southeast to northwest. The glider's left wing contacted the mountain approximately 150 feet below the summit. The witness reported seeing the wing crumple and then hearing a loud noise. The glider then disappeared behind the north side of the mountain. The wreckage was located the following morning. The glider wreckage was spread down the north face of Grand Teton Mountain beginning approximately 200 feet below the summit and extending down the mountain approximately 1,500 feet. A wing was identified as resting approximately 700 feet below the summit in the wreckage path. The reported weather in the area, about the time of the accident, was clear skies, visibility 10 statute miles, temperature 75 degrees F, winds 240 degrees at 19 knots with gusts to 28 knots, and an altimeter setting of 30.18 inches of Mercury.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: glider; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 497 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 940 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: U59 Driggs ID at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 18 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 10:58 pm from JAC, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.