Schweizer SGS 2-32 accident near Heber City, Utah, July 29, 2009
On July 29, 2009 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Schweizer SGS 2-32 (glider), registered N682U, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Heber City, Utah (Heber City Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's excessive speed as he turned off the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 29, 2009 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Heber City, Utah · Heber City Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer SGS 2-32 · all SGS 2-32s on the register
- Registration
- N682U · no longer on the register · serial 16
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After making a normal approach and landing, the pilot applied wheel brakes and noted normal deceleration. As he exited the runway onto the taxiway he applied more braking, but once he was clear of the active runway he felt that the glider wasn't decelerating as rapidly as he had planned. The pilot stated "…I applied full braking, including pumping the brake. I continued to use max braking, including digging the nose skid in as hard as I could and attempted to dampen the inevitable blow as best as possible." The glider subsequently impacted the door of one hangar with its nose bowl and a second hangar with its left wing, which resulted in substantial damage to the glider.
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
- Ground collision during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Surface speed/braking › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 7,470 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 135 in the last 90 days; 54 in the last 30 days; 2,790 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 20, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,273 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 14, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 1,430 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: 36U Heber City UT at 4:00 pm
- Destination: 36U Heber City UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 6,899 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 3:59 pm from 36U
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.