Schleicher ASW accident near Nephi, Utah, May 30, 2018
On May 30, 2018 at about 8:15 pm local time, a 1983 Schleicher ASW (glider), registered N428US, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Nephi, Utah (Nephi Muni 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 glider’s encounter with atmospheric conditions where the lift was not sufficient to maintain flight, which resulted in a hard off-airport landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 30, 2018 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Nephi, Utah · Nephi Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASW 20C, built 1983
- Registration
- N428US · no longer on the register · serial 20628
- 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 that, while en route on a local flight, the "lift died," and he decided to return to the departure airport. He was about 3 to 4 miles from the airport when the glider experienced a "moderate to severe sink," and he decided to set up to land in a nearby field. He added that, about 200 ft above the ground, the glider encountered a strong updraft that lasted between 15 and 30 seconds, and "even with full spoilers, it was obvious [he] would not be able to land." He stowed the spoilers, pitched up slightly, and focused on another landing site. The pilot further reported that, during touchdown at the alternate landing site, he noticed there were "sprinkler pipes and wheels." He added, "it looked like [he] would still hit the sprinkler pipes," so to avoid the industrial farm sprinklers ahead, the pilot abruptly pitched the nose down and landed hard on the field. The glider sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
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 lift during landing
- Other weather encounter during landing
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Abrupt maneuver during landing defining event
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Thermal lifting › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground equipment › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 13,800 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 5,100 as pilot in command; 1,300 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,600 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 28, 2017
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: U14 Nephi UT at 8:30 pm
- Destination: U14 Nephi UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 6,300 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 23,000 ft; scat at 13,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from KPVU, 31 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 26, 2018. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.