Rolladen-Schneider Ohg LS3-A accident near Cedar Valley, Utah, June 25, 2009
On June 25, 2009 at about 6:40 pm local time, a Rolladen-Schneider Ohg LS3-A (glider), registered N800JM, suffered minor damage in an accident during takeoff near Cedar Valley, Utah (West Desert Airpark airport). 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
The pilot inadvertently applied the tow release handle.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 25, 2009 · about 6:40 pm local time · cases in 2009
- Place
- Cedar Valley, Utah · West Desert Airpark · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rolladen-Schneider Ohg LS3-A · all LS3-As on the register
- Registration
- N800JM · registry record · serial 3325
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The glider was being towed aloft by a tow-plane. Takeoff procedures for the glider required that the flaps be set at 0 degrees until aileron effectiveness, and then the flaps should be set at 10 degrees. The pilot had 0 degrees of flaps selected, and during the ground roll, the left wing was dragging on the ground surface. He attempted to align the glider with the runway and removed his hand from the flap handle and placed it on the tow release handle, intending to abort the takeoff. He leveled the wings and the glider lifted from the runway. The pilot gained control of the glider and intended to extend the flaps 10 degrees; however, his hand was still on the tow release handle and he unintentionally pulled the tow release at 75 to 100 feet above ground level. During the forced landing, the pilot misjudged the flare, the glider landed hard, and the pilot sustained serious spinal injuries.
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
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during takeoff defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during initial climb
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Fuselage › Aerial tow equipment section › Incorrect use/operation other cases naming the airframe structure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 155 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 62 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 25, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,535 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 5, 2008; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,040 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: UT99 Cedar Valley UT at 6:55 pm
- Destination: UT99 Cedar Valley UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 2,600 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from PVU, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on September 11, 2009. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Email Correspondence from Pilot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 1. Glider (Provided by FAA) | 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N800JM on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Rolladen-Schneider Ohg LS-3 27 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Rolladen-Schneider Ohg 39 aircraft on the register
- Primary Children'S Lehi Heliport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Utah 1,440 since 1982 · 264 in the last ten years
- Utah 8,355 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR09LA313.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.