Two people survive after bailing out of glider near Richfield
Jun 22, 2018, 6:59 PM | Updated: 9:28 pm
RICHFIELD Utah – Two people escaped serious injury after bailing out of an Arcus glider that lost control and crashed in Sevier County.
Officials with the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office said the crash happened around 3:30 p.m. Thursday, about 7 miles southeast of Richfield.
The 61-year-old pilot, Dave Nadler, and 20-year-old passenger, Spence Chanthavane, were on board the glider as part of a Soaring Society of America competition.
Sheriff Nathan Curtis said the glider apparently ran into some kind of trouble a few miles from Smithfield and both people bailed out. They were both wearing parachutes and landed safely.
Chanthavane, he said, hiked for about three hours before flagging down a driver to call 911 emergency dispatchers. Authorities called for help from a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter, which found Nadler a short time later.
Neither man was seriously injured.
The Soaring Society of America was hosting its 2018 Sports Class Nationals competition in Nephi this month. Organizers were familiar with Nadler, and said he was an accomplished pilot.
“Dave Nadler’s a really experienced competition pilot. He’s been in this for a long time. Very successful in what he does,” said Utah Soaring Association president Michael Hendron.
Hendron said all the pilots participating in the competition are required to wear parachutes. Safety training is a big part of their culture.
“From the moment we start flying, we’re always thinking about what are we going to do next,” he said. “Stay calm, focus on what you need to get done, and react the way you’ve been trained to react,”
A spokesperson with the Federal Aviation Administration said both the FAA and NTSB would investigate what led to the crash.
