Alexander Schleicher GMBH & CO ASH 31 MI accident near Parowan, Utah, June 24, 2024
On June 24, 2024 at about 5:55 pm local time, a 2018 Alexander Schleicher GMBH & CO ASH 31 MI (glider), registered N517PB, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Parowan, Utah (Parowan 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 glider’s encounter with atmospheric conditions where the lift was not sufficient to maintain?flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 2024 · about 5:55 pm local time
- Place
- Parowan, Utah · Parowan Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Alexander Schleicher GMBH & CO ASH 31 MI, built 2018
- Registration
- N517PB · registry record · serial 31175
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of a powered glider reported that, after the engine had been shut down and the propeller stowed, he encountered more downdrafts?than expected. The glider did not have sufficient altitude to reach the airport or to re-deploy the engine. During the forced landing on rough terrain, a wing impacted vegetation and ground looped, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the powered 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 enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Thermal lifting › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 2,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 27, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 567 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 9, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 1,543 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Austro Engine AE50R (piston); 71 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1L9 Parowan UT at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from KCDC, 16 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KCDC 241753Z AUTO 29009KT 10SM FEW100 32/07 A3015 RMK AO2 SLP113 T03220067 10328 20206 58006
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – View of powered glider from front.
Photograph 2 – View of powered glider from left.
Photograph 3 – View of damage to empennage.The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 8, 2024. 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 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Array | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | 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.