Glaser Dirks DG 300 ELAN accident near Wilkeson, Washington, August 25, 2019
On August 25, 2019 at about 10:03 pm local time, a 1984 Glaser Dirks DG 300 ELAN (glider), registered N300GG, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Wilkeson, Washington (Burnett airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s delayed decision to land following a loss of thermal lift, which resulted in collision with trees during the landing approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 2019 · about 10:03 pm local time
- Place
- Wilkeson, Washington · Burnett · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Glaser Dirks DG 300 ELAN No Series, built 1984
- Registration
- N300GG · no longer on the register · serial 3E67
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the glider had flown for about 1 hour and 20 minutes when he arrived in the vicinity of an airport other than his departure airport and reported to another glider pilot via radio that he was “looking for lift.” Information from an onboard flight recorder indicated that the pilot flew about 4 miles south of the airport before turning back toward the airport; circling several times in areas of lift, but generally descending until arriving over the airport at an altitude of about 565 ft above ground level. Witnesses at the airport saw the glider circling the airport several times before its landing gear was lowered and the glider flew toward the runway. During the landing approach, the glider impacted trees and descended to the ground in a steep, nose-down attitude. Examination of the glider revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot’s continued circling over the airport in an attempt to find lift. His delayed decision to land resulted in a low landing approach path and subsequent impact with trees.
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
- Loss of lift during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Thermal lifting › Effect on operation
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Attain/maintain not possible
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 12.1 in this make and model; 0 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection, January 28, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 1,157 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: WN76 Enumclaw WA at 8:28 pm
- Destination: WN76 Enumclaw WA
- Runway 31, 2,500 ft by 110 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 5 knots
- Sky: scat at 3,900 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on November 4, 2021. 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 | GPS Device - Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Attachment 1 to GPS Device - Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 137 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statements | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Airframe and Engine Examination Report | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Memo for Record Autopsy | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Toxicological Report | 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.
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.