Amateur-built GLASTAR accident near Sheridan, Wyoming, December 10, 2014
On December 10, 2014 at about 8:13 pm local time, a 1999 amateur-built GLASTAR, registered N16XP, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Sheridan, Wyoming (Private Airstrip 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
A loss of engine power while maneuvering at low altitude for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident examination.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 10, 2014 · about 8:13 pm local time · cases in 2014
- Place
- Sheridan, Wyoming · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built GLASTAR, built 1999
- Registration
- N16XP · registry record · serial 5170
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he had not flown the airplane in "some time." He added that, on the day of the accident, he performed a full power run-up and that the airplane "felt normal." The takeoff and climbout were normal; however, while the airplane was at 1,200 ft above ground level, the engine began to lose power. During the attempted forced landing, the main landing gear impacted an irrigation pipe, the left wing tip impacted a fence post, and the airplane then slid about 60 ft before coming to rest upright. The pilot reported that, after exiting the airplane, he observed a broken wire on the cowl flap cable, which he believed would have allowed the cowl flap to completely close and then resulted in the engine overheating. However, during a postaccident engine examination, it could not be determined if the wire on the cowl flap broke before or during the impact. The examination revealed no other evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal engine 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 engine power (partial) during maneuvering defining event
- Loss of engine power (partial) during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,199 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 2,199 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 12, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 341.6 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, November 10, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,180 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 428 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NA Sheridan WY at 8:05 pm
- Destination: NA Sheridan WY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 1,320 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from SHR, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on November 3, 2015. 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 | Weather Data | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Engine Examination Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 3 pages | 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
- N16XP on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 27,303 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Wyoming 778 since 1982 · 108 in the last ten years
- Wyoming 3,234 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR15LA058.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.