Glasflugel STD LIBELLE 201B N161D
2 April 2004 · Oso, Washington, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 2 April 2004 at about 01:00 local time, a Glasflugel STD LIBELLE 201B registered N161D was involved in an accident near Oso, Washington, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 01:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Oso, Washington, United States
- Coordinates
- 48.2397, -121.9000
- Aircraft
- Glasflugel STD LIBELLE 201B
- Registration
- N161D
- Category
- Glider
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Arlington → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA04LA063
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot of the Glaser-Dirks (lead glider) failure to maintain clearance form the Glasflugel (trailing glider) resulting in a mid-air collision while maneuvering.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
While flying in trail along a ridgeline at the same altitude, the pilot of the Glaser-Dirks (lead glider) made a left turn, while the pilot of the Glasflugel (trailing glider) remained on course over the ridgeline. The Glasflugel pilot reported that he recalled that the Glaser-Dirks was at his 10:00 position when he encountered turbulence and he looked down to check his airspeed. When he looked back up, he lost sight of the Glaser-Dirks and assumed that he had rolled out to run the ridgeline to the south. The Glasflugel pilot continued along the ridgeline to the north when the Glaser-Dirks pilot transmitted to the Glasflugel pilot to "watch out/it." The Glasflugel pilot looked around to his left and spotted the other glider about 80 feet away at his 8:00 position and converging at the same altitude. The Glasflugel pilot reacted by making a right banking turn. During this maneuver, the left wing tip of the Glasflugel glider came up under the right wing of the Glaser-Dirks glider. The left wing tip of the Glasflugel contacted the underside of the right wing of the Glaser-Dirks about 13 feet 5 inches outboard of the wing root resulting in the outboard section of the right wing separating in flight. The pilot of the Glaser-Dirks was fatally injured, while the pilot of the Glasflugel was able to bail-out and deploy his parachute.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glasflugel STD LIBELLE 201B | N161D | - | Substantial |
| Glaser-Dirks DG-400 | N400WJ | - | Substantial |
Other Glasflugel STD accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Oct 2025 | Glasflugel STD LIBELLE 201B | Moriarty, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jun 1972 | Glasflugel STD LB | Van Horn Tex, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Sep 2004 | Piper PA-18 | Blaine, Washington, United States | Guy R and Tyler R Glahn | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 Aug 2004 | Cessna 150C | Mazama, Washington, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 Sep 2004 | Hardin LANCAIR 320 | Chewelah, Washington, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 May 2004 | Stinson SR-10E | Eliza Island, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Jul 2004 | Cessna 150L | La Center, Washington, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 21 Mar 2004 | Cessna 172E | Raymond, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |