Rolladen Schneider LS-7WL N78AW
11 June 2025 · Tonasket, Washington, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 11 June 2025 at about 23:30 local time, a Rolladen Schneider LS-7WL registered N78AW was involved in an accident near Tonasket, Washington, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. 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 23:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Tonasket, Washington, United States
- Coordinates
- 48.7505, -118.9959
- Aircraft
- Rolladen Schneider LS-7WL
- Registration
- N78AW
- Category
- Glider
- Year built
- 1989
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Winthrop → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR25LA177
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The glider’s encounter with atmospheric conditions where the lift was not sufficient to maintain flight.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to the pilot in the glider, during a cross-country flight, promising cloud formations did not provide lift, as he anticipated. The glider did not have sufficient altitude to reach the airport, and a forced landing ensued. During the landing roll, the glider’s wingtip contacted the gravel surface and precipitated a ground-loop. The glider sustained substantial damage to the aft fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Mar 2025 | Bell 206B II | Mountain Home Park, Washington, United States | North Wind Aviation LLC | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 May 2025 | Cessna 172N | Monroe, Washington, United States | Morcom Aviation Services Inc | No injuries | - |
| 28 May 2025 | Cessna 177RG | Snohomish, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Oct 2025 | Siai-Marchetti SM 1019 | Richland, Washington, United States | D & D Airpark LLC | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jul 2025 | Scott MacWilliam SR3500 MOOSE | Quinault, Washington, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 25 Aug 2025 | Czech Aircraft Group Sro SPORTCRUISER | Puyallup, Washington, United States | Spana Flight | Serious injuries | - |