Schleicher ASW 20B accident near Logan, Utah, August 2, 2015
On August 2, 2015 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 1984 Schleicher ASW 20B (glider), registered N20YZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Logan, Utah (Logan-Cache 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’s failure to maintain glider control when it encountered a strong downdraft while maneuvering near a ridgeline.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 2015 · about 9:00 pm local time · cases in 2015
- Place
- Logan, Utah · Logan-Cache · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASW 20B, built 1984 · all ASW 20Bs on the register
- Registration
- N20YZ · no longer on the register · serial 20664
- 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 was participating in a mountain flying training course when the glider encountered a strong downdraft while maneuvering near a mountain ridge and lost lift. The pilot was unable to arrest the glider's descent rate, and the left wing impacted a tree. The pilot reported no preimpact malfunctions or failures 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 maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Not specified
Pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 280 hours in all; 280 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 18, 2015
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,448 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 22, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,157 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: LGU Logan UT at 8:30 pm
- Destination: LGU Logan UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 8:51 pm from KLGU, 5 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 October 16, 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 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of 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
- N20YZ: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Schleicher ASW-20 101 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Schleicher 506 aircraft on the register
- Logan-Cache Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Utah 1,440 since 1982 · 264 in the last ten years
- Utah 8,360 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR15LA232.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.