Amateur-built RS-15 accident near Richland, Washington, April 28, 2002
On April 28, 2002 at about 7:00 pm local time, a amateur-built RS-15 (glider), registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Richland, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Airspeed was not maintained while maneuvering. An inadvertent stall, remedial action was not attained, and the student pilot's lack of total experience were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 2002 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Richland, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RS-15
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial 27
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that he was looking for lift to continue the glider operation when the airspeed "got too slow and the tail dropped and the glider went into a flat spin." The student pilot did not recover from the spin and subsequently collided with the terrain. During the post-accident inspection of the wreckage, no evidence of a pre-impact malfunction of the airframe or flight controls were found. The student pilot reported that this was the first flight in this aircraft since it had been restored. The student pilot's flight records indicated that his last flight instructor signoff for solo operations were about six months prior to the accident, and no flights had been accomplished since the last signoff.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 37 hours in all; 0 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 413 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 1992; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 970 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: RLD Richland WA at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from PSC, 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.
Other NTSB records under UNREG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.