Wednesday, July 03, 2019

Collision with Terrain (non-CFIT): Schempp-Hirth Arcus M, N215MM; fatal accident occurred July 01, 2019 in Ephraim, Sanpete County, Utah










Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board

The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident. 

Additional Participating Entity: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Salt Lake City, Utah

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:


Location: Ephraim, Utah
Accident Number: WPR19FA183
Date and Time: July 1, 2019, 13:59 Local
Registration: N215MM
Aircraft: Schempp Hirth ARCUS 
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Defining Event: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) 
Injuries: 2 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Analysis

The pilot and passenger onboard the glider was participating in a soaring competition. Data from an onboard flight recorder were consistent with the pilot climbing in various areas of thermal lift, reaching a peak altitude of 6,935 ft above ground level about 50 minutes into the flight. During the subsequent approximate 30 minutes of the flight, the glider proceeded south southwesterly along a ridgeline, circling several times in different locations, but the glider continued to descend. Data indicated that the glider was in a right turn about 185 ft above terrain before it impacted a tree. Post-accident examination revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

Review of weather information indicated a conditionally unstable environment and likely thermal lift in the area, though satellite imagery depicted clear skies over the immediate area of the accident site, with fair weather cumulus clouds located east of the site. Wind conditions in the area of the accident site were likely insufficient to provide orographic lift.

The pilot’s maneuvering in close proximity to terrain was consistent with his attempt to obtain or remain in an area of lift; it is possible that the glider may have encountered adverse wind that resulted in a loss of control at an altitude too low for recovery, or that the pilot initiated a 360° turn at an inadequate distance from terrain.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's decision to maneuver in close proximity to terrain while attempting to remain in an area of lift, which resulted in a collision with trees. 

Findings

Personnel issues Decision making/judgment - Pilot
Personnel issues Monitoring environment - Pilot
Aircraft Altitude - Not attained/maintained
Environmental issues Mountainous/hilly terrain - Effect on operation
Environmental issues (general) - Effect on operation

Factual Information

History of Flight

Maneuvering-low-alt flying Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) (Defining event) 

On July 1, 2019, about 1359 mountain daylight time, a Schempp Hirth Arcus M glider, N215MM, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Ephraim, Utah. The pilot and pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. The glider was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot and passenger were participating in a soaring competition when the accident occurred. Data from the glider’s PowerFLARM-IGS flight recorder indicated that the glider departed from Nephi Municipal Airport (U14), Nephi, Utah, at 1230:47. At 1238:19, the glider encountered its first thermal and gained another 2,158 ft in altitude. Over the next 40 minutes, the glider flew north, then east, during which time it encountered four different thermals and the pilot climbed to 6,935 ft above ground level (agl). At 1323:30, the glider turned south over Manti-La Sal National Forest (Wasatch Plateau). During the next 36 minutes, the glider continued roughly south-southwest along a ridgeline, circling in several areas; however, the glider continued to descend. The last recorded data point, at 1359:47, indicated that the glider was in a right turn was about 185 ft agl.

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private 
Age: 63, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land 
Seat Occupied: Rear
Other Aircraft Rating(s): Glider
Restraint Used: Unknown
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present:
Instructor Rating(s): None 
Toxicology Performed: Yes
Medical Certification: Class 3 With waivers/limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: May 20, 2019
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: (Estimated) 4200 hours (Total, all aircraft)

Pilot-rated passenger Information

Certificate: Airline transport 
Age: 66, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine land
Seat Occupied: Front
Other Aircraft Rating(s): Glider 
Restraint Used: Unknown
Instrument Rating(s): 
Second Pilot Present:
Instructor Rating(s): 
Toxicology Performed:
Medical Certification: None None 
Last FAA Medical Exam: June 24, 1985
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time:

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Schempp Hirth 
Registration: N215MM
Model/Series: ARCUS M
Aircraft Category: Glider
Year of Manufacture: 2012
Amateur Built:
Airworthiness Certificate: Experimental (Special)
Serial Number: 32
Landing Gear Type:
Seats:
Date/Type of Last Inspection:
Certified Max Gross Wt.:
Time Since Last Inspection: 
Engines:
Airframe Total Time: 
Engine Manufacturer:
ELT: 
Engine Model/Series:
Registered Owner: 
Rated Power:
Operator: On file 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC) 
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KPUC, 5921 ft msl 
Distance from Accident Site: 38 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 13:53 Local
Direction from Accident Site:
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: / 
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:  /
Wind Direction: 
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:  /
Altimeter Setting: 30.16 inches Hg 
Temperature/Dew Point: 29°C / 1°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Nephi, UT (U14)
Type of Flight Plan Filed:
Destination: Ephraim, UT 
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 13:56 Local
Type of Airspace:

The National Weather Service (NWS) Surface Analysis Chart for the accident time depicted a dissipating stationary front extending west to east over southern Idaho and Wyoming. A high-pressure system at 1014-hectopascals (hPa) was located over southern Utah immediately south of the accident site, with a general high-pressure ridge extending over the state. The station models surrounding the accident site depicted clear skies, light wind of 5 knots, with temperatures in the upper 80’s to low 90’s degrees Fahrenheit (F).

A High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) numerical model depicted an elevation of 7,431 ft, a surface temperature of 25.5°C (78° F), a dew point temperature of -3.0°C (27°F), a relative humidity of 15%, with a density altitude of about 10,016 ft. The sounding indicated support for strong thermal activity from the surface through 17,500 ft. The lifted condensation level was identified at 11,425 ft agl (18,856 ft msl) with the convective condensation level above that at 12,961 ft agl. The precipitable water content was 0.31 inches. The sounding was too dry for cloud formation, and none were indicated. The lifted index indicated a conditionally unstable atmosphere.

The wind profile indicated a surface wind from the southwest at 9 knots with winds backing to the south-southwest through 15,000 ft and then slowly veering to the southwest with height. The mean 0 to 6 kilometer or 18,000 ft wind was from 230° at 15 knots, and the maximum wind was identified at 40,000 ft from 220° at 53 knots.

GOES-17 visible satellite image for 1546 depicted clear skies over the accident site with fair weather cumulus clouds on the eastern slopes of the mountain range immediately east of the accident site.

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: 1 Fatal 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 39.384998,-111.49916(est)

The wreckage was located in mountainous terrain about 4.25 miles northeast of Ephraim, Utah, at an elevation of 7,628 ft mean sea level, and was contained within a 50-ft area. The main wreckage included the left wing, cockpit, fuselage, empennage, and engine. The forward fuselage and cockpit area was extensively crushed and deformed.

The right wing had separated from the glider upon impact with a tree and was located about 20 ft east of the main wreckage. The inboard section and the majority of the outboard portion of the right wing were wrapped around the tree; the remaining outboard portion of the wing remained with the main wreckage. The right inboard section remained attached to the right outboard section; the right-wing tip had separated from the wing. The inboard and outboard ailerons remained attached to the wing. The left inboard wing remained attached to the fuselage. Fractures and deformations along the wingspan were consistent with impact forces. The outboard portion of the left wing was fractured and bent backwards. The inboard and outboard ailerons remained attached to the wing.

The steel fuselage truss was deformed and fractured in multiple places consistent with the fuselage damage. The fuselage shell fractured about halfway along its span; all flight control cables remained attached to their respective attach points.

The empennage was fractured from the fuselage just forward of the vertical stabilizer but remained attached by the control rods and cables. The vertical stabilizer was rotated 180° and its leading edge came to rest on the ground. The horizontal stabilizer remained attached to the top of the vertical stabilizer and was engaged with the forward and aft mount points. The elevator hinges were intact and undamaged. The rudder remained intact. The aileron controls were fractured and deformed in multiple places between the forward control stick and the tunnels, consistent with the extensive forward fuselage damage. All fractures observed in the flight controls had a dull, grainy appearance. Deformation was consistent with overstress separation.

Additional Information

The FAA Glider Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-13A), states:

It is not uncommon for thermals to exist with slope lift … When a thermal is encountered along the ridge, a series of S-turns can be made into the wind. Drift back to the thermal after each turn if needed and, of course, never continue the turn to the point that the glider is turning toward the ridge.

Medical and Pathological Information

The Utah Department of Health, Office of the Medical Examiner, Taylorsville, Utah, performed an autopsy of the pilot and passenger. The cause of death for both was multiple blunt force injuries.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Forensic Sciences Laboratory conducted toxicology tests on specimens from the pilot and detected the previously-reported medications rosuvastatin, tadalafil, and lansoprazole.

============

Location: Ephraim, UT
Accident Number: WPR19FA183
Date & Time: 07/01/2019, 1356 MDT
Registration: N215MM
Aircraft: SCHEMPP HIRTH ARCUS
Injuries: 2 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On July 1, 2019 about 1356 mountain daylight time, a Schempp Hirth Arcus M glider, N215MM, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near Ephraim, Utah. The pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. The glider was registered to and operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed within the area and no flight plan was filed for the local flight that originated from Nephi Municipal Airport (U14), Nephi, Utah at 1228.

Examination of the accident site revealed that the glider impacted the side of a mountain at an elevation of 7,628 ft mean sea level (msl). The last radar data that was obtained from the on-board air data computer, at 1356:47, depicted the glider at 7,785 ft msl.

The wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: SCHEMPP HIRTH
Registration: N215MM
Model/Series: ARCUS M
Aircraft Category: Glider
Amateur Built: No
Operator: Weber John H
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site:
Condition of Light:
Observation Facility, Elevation:
Observation Time:
Distance from Accident Site:
Temperature/Dew Point:
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction:
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility: 
Altimeter Setting:
Type of Flight Plan Filed:
Departure Point:
Destination:

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 39.385000, -111.499167 (est)

John Weber with his wife, Connie Mariano, in June. 


After turning around an auto-parts maker, Remy International Inc., John Weber took time in recent years to indulge his love of piloting gliders, a hobby he had pursued since his 20s. On July 1, Mr. Weber died when his glider crashed near Ephraim, Utah. He was 63.

Mr. Weber, a onetime McKinsey & Co. consultant, was best known for rescuing Remy, a maker of starters, alternators and hybrid electric motors once owned by General Motors. When he was brought in as CEO in 2006, Remy was owned by investors including a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. investment fund. Its debt traded at less than 70 cents on the dollar, reflecting doubts about its survival.

Mr. Weber replaced nearly all the senior management and closed plants in Indiana, Virginia and Mississippi. He concentrated Remy’s production in Mexico, Hungary, China and South Korea. When head-office employees in Anderson, Ind., asked him to provide an employee gym, he said Remy couldn’t afford it and invited those who didn’t understand to leave. “Don’t let the door hit you on the ass on the way out,” he added, former colleagues recalled.

Remy went through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in 2007 to restructure debts. Mr. Weber stepped down as CEO in early 2013 after the company obtained a listing on the Nasdaq Stock Market .

Mr. Weber, refusing to accept lawyers’ doubts that it could be done, force-marched Remy through its bankruptcy reorganization in less than 60 days. He also negotiated price increases with Remy’s biggest customer, GM.

In 2015, BorgWarner Inc. acquired Remy International for about $1.2 billion.

John Howard Weber, described by one former colleague as a prankster and “corporate gun for hire,” was born Feb. 21, 1956, in Calgary, Alberta. His father was an insurance salesman and his mother a homemaker. Injuries from a car accident thwarted his plan to study at the Royal Roads Military College. Instead, he attended the University of Toronto, where he received a mechanical engineering degree in 1979. He earned his M.B.A. degree at Harvard in 1984.

Mr. Weber, who became a U.S. citizen, worked for General Electric Co. , Honeywell International Inc. and AlliedSignal Inc. before becoming CEO of Eagle-Picher Industries Inc., a maker of industrial and defense products, in 2001.

Gerald Mills, who headed human resources at Remy when Mr. Weber was CEO, remembered that his boss found out in 2008 that Mr. Mills’s daughter, then studying at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, had been hit by a car while jogging and suffered minor injuries. Mr. Weber immediately arranged to use his own airplane to fly Mr. Mills to Charlottesville.

Mr. Weber is survived by a sister and two children from his first marriage, which ended in divorce. He is also survived by his wife, Connie Mariano, a former White House physician who now practices in Scottsdale, Ariz. Dr. Mariano got to know Mr. Weber when she gave him a check-up at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale. They married in 2010.


Thomas Bjork 
1953 - 2019


Passed away suddenly in a sail plane accident on July 1, 2019. Tom was born on May 1, 1953 in Seattle, WA to Clifford Andrew Bjork and Phyllis Ann Duggan Bjork. His family settled in San Jose, where he attended school and graduated from Lynbrook HS. He went on to graduate from USC with a degree in Economics and was honored as a Distinguished Graduate by the Air Force ROTC. He joined the Air Force as a 2nd Lt. He was assigned to the pilot training class of 77-05 at Laughlin AFB, TX, and reassigned to Laughlin as a T-38 instructor. He went on to serve as a B-52 Captain at Barksdale AFB, LA, concurrently earning an MBA from Louisiana Tech. He then returned to ATC, his last assignment being a T-38 instructor at Williams AFB, AZ. Upon separating from the Air Force, he moved to the Sacramento area and began a 25 year career as a financial consultant and later was also a branch manager at both AG Edwards and Stifel Nicolaus. After retirement in 2011 he pursued his hobby of flying gliders, taking trips all around the west wherever he could find good lift. He enjoyed being part of the Hole in the Wall Gang and sharing in their success. His many other interests included snow skiing, water skiing, surfing and sailing. He loved snorkeling in the coral reefs of the Hawaiian Islands. He enjoyed playing card games, especially party and duplicate bridge, as well as Corvettes, gardening and wood working projects. Above all he enjoyed his family, both immediate and extended. He is survived by his wife, Karen, and 2 sons, Brian Bjork (Rebekah) and Steven Woermanbjork (Kendra). He leaves 6 much loved grandchildren, Ila (10), Rachel (8), Orville (7), Joel (6), Emmett (5) and Anna (2). Other survivors include his mother, Phyllis Williams, two brothers, Dan Bjork (Kathy) and Cliff Bjork (Lesa), sister-in-law Nancy Gibbs (Wayne), brother-in-law Scott Johnson, cousin Kathy Bailey and other family members and good friends. He enjoyed many great relationships with his clients over the years. He was a loyal friend and husband. The Celebration of Life will be held Friday, July 12 at 10 am at Sierra Hills Memorial Park, 5757 Greenback Lane in Sacramento.




SANPETE COUNTY, Utah, July 2, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — Officials have identified two men who died after a glider crashed Monday afternoon east of Ephraim in the foothills of Bald Mountain.

Sanpete County Sheriff’s Office officials said the deceased are John Weber, 63, of Scottsdale, Arizona and Thomas Bjork, 66, of Orangevale, California.

Late Monday night, the Sanpete County Sheriff’s Office confirmed there were no survivors.

Detective Derick Taysom said Sanpete County Dispatch received a 911 call notifying them that a group of OHV operators had found the downed aircraft, and reporting that the aircraft’s two occupants were deceased.

The crash was approximately four miles northeast of Ephraim.

The sheriff’s office, Sanpete County Search and Rescue, and the Medical Examiner’s Officer went to the scene, and the pilot and passenger, both male, were confirmed deceased. It’s not clear at this time which man was the pilot and which was the passenger.

In the course of the investigation, officials learned that the glider had taken off from the Nephi airport at approximately 3 p.m. and was heading to an airport near Richfield.

The cause of the crash is unknown at this time. The Federal Aviation Administration is conducting an investigation Tuesday, Taysom said.

This was the second fatal crash of an aircraft in Utah since the weekend. A single-engine two-seat aircraft carrying the pilot and a passenger was reported missing Sunday and was found Monday morning in San Juan County. The two men on board were confirmed deceased.

Original article can be found here ➤ https://gephardtdaily.com

Sanpete Sheriff's Office

On 07/01/19 at 5:11 p.m. Sanpete County Dispatch received a 911 call reporting a group of OHV operators came upon a downed plane. It was reported the two occupants of the aircraft were deceased. The location of the crash was reported as being approximately 4 miles northeast of Ephraim City. The Sanpete County Sheriff’s Office, Sanpete County Search and Rescue, and the Medical Examiners Officer responded to the scene. Upon arrival the aircraft was identified as a small glider-type aircraft. The male pilot and male passenger were confirmed to be deceased. It was learned through the investigation the aircraft took off from the Nephi airport and was enroute to land at an airport near Richfield. The reason of the crash is unknown at this time.

3 comments:

  1. "Mr. Weber replaced nearly all the senior management and closed plants in Indiana, Virginia and Mississippi. He concentrated Remy’s production in Mexico, Hungary, China and South Korea.
    What a great American this guy was, sure hope we don't find anymore of these guys running a United States of America company.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The comment above is inaccurate. As someone that knows the history of the company both prior and after John's tenure, Remy had already the production concentrated in the countries listed prior to John's time with the company.

    I should also note that even if that was true, the sarcastic tone of the comment above notes "what a great American this guy was".... it's not because someone moves production to another country that they are not "good Americans". Sometimes making those hard decisions is necessary in order to remain competitive and keep higher paying jobs in the country.

    What's better for America? Making everything here and going out of business because all competitors have a lower cost or moving some labor to outside of the country, remain competitive and generating $$$ for the economy? I think we both know the answer to that.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I knew the pilot, John Weber, very well.

    I knew him since our days together at Shell Canada in Calgary.
    We both graduated as Engineers from the U. of Toronto.

    His first wife (Joan Singer) was a friend of mine from Long Point, Balsam Lake in Ontario.

    John had come to me for advice for applying to Harvard Business School (I was an MBA from U. of Western), and I coached him on his successful application for entrance to Harvard.

    John Weber was a detailed man... he left little to chance.

    He was a very accomplished Glider Pilot.

    Knowing him as well as I do, I do not think the glider crash was due to pilot error.

    I believe the cause of the crash was likely due to mechanical failure of the Arcus M Glider.

    John's M-type glider was the 32nd one made by Schempp-Hirth.

    There was another Schempp-Hirth Arcus M-type glider that was the 125th one made... this glider experienced a Rudder Pedal failure, with one of the rudder pedals "slamming back" in-flight that resulted in the glider's Bank Angle & Speed to increase.

    The doomed glider then entered into a spin, or spiral, and the pilot and passenger ejected from the glider prior to it crashing to the ground.
    You can read more about this crash at this link... http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2018/06/schempp-hirth-arcus-m-n16dn-accident.html

    Two other M-type Arcus gliders have also crashed... one in Italy, and one in France.

    You can see the history of these from Shempp-Hirth's own production records... http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Arcus.htm

    Judging from the photo of John Weber's crashed glider, there was little left of the cockpit and rudder controls to determine the cause of the crash. But, knowing John as well as I did, I do not believe for a second that it was due to pilot error.

    Blessings, John Ritchie

    ReplyDelete