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DEN85LA185

1985-07-06 · GRAND LAKE, Colorado, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport LXV

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

ON RETURNING FROM A 300-KILOMETER CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT, IN A GLIDER THE PILOT NOTICED THE ABSENCE OF THERMAL ACTIVITY AND WAS FORCED TO LAND IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE PILOT SAID HE LANDED WITH A 2-5 KNOT TAILWIND AND HIS APPROACH AND TOUCHDOWN SPEED WAS TOO FAST. THE GLIDER STRUCK A SMALL HOLE, THE PILOT LOST CONTROL AND THE GLIDER GROUNDLOOPED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1985_DEN85LA185.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.