On Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 11:28:24 PM UTC-7, Heinz Gehlhaar wrote:
On Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 6:35:22 PM UTC-7, Rich Owen wrote:
Seminole-Lake Gliderport sadly announces we had a fatal glider accident today. The accident will be investigated by the FAA and NTSB, an inspector was on the scene today. We do not want to identify the pilot but he was flying a Standard Cirrus that he owned. He was NOT in the Senior Soaring Championship. The accident occurred after a premature release by the pilot from tow at about 500 feet over the end of the runway. We recovered an Oudie and Nano (this unit was still operational) at the site and we expect it will greatly aid in the investigation. We ask you not call the office or come to the gliderport to view the scene. Seminole-Lake has been in the business of promoting soaring for over 50 years and this is our first fatal accident. Our prayers go out to the pilot's family.

Sincerely,
Rich Owen

My heart goes out to the Family and to the Glider Port Folks.
Just make sure that the Flight Computers (Oudi & Nano) really get read out by the powers to be. The local Sheriff and apparently the FAA do not know about igc-files.
I was involved in a glider retrieval wihich turned into an attempted accident retrieval around Ephrata, WA. When I got to the site, the Sheriff already there, and totally prevented access; even visual, as the glider was behind a slight rise in the country. I offered the Sheriff help in readout of the flight computer, but even that was refused. I left my name just in case, but was never contacted again. And the subsequent accident report years later looked like they had never seen the flight trace. Interestingly, since I had access to one of the flight-recorders on board, I saw that the wreck was moved a couple of days later.

Heinz is mistaken. I personally assisted the NTSB in locating the FLARM and the GPS-NAV onboard that accident. The NTSB included the IGC file and the analysis of the flight in their final report and that information is located he

https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms/search/h...6319AEB9E07248