We regret to report that two fatal accidents involving sailplanes occurred Saturday, June 29th: one in Jacumba, California and one in Pemberton, Canada. In both cases, all persons aboard the aircraft were killed.

Jacumba Accident

According to the FAA report, the Jacumba accident happened at around 12:30 PM when a two-place Perkoz sailplane separated from the winch cable shortly after takeoff at 100 feet above the ground. The glider then decelerated rapidly and struck the ground. Richard Noble, 63, and Martin Rothwell, 54, were killed in the crash.

The glider was owned by the Associated Glider Clubs of Southern California. The Jacumba Airport is about  75 miles east of San Diego.

For more details, click here.

Thanks to Brian Evans for alerting us to the Jacumba accident.

Pemberton, British Columbia

Also on Saturday, a motorglider collided with a Cessna 150 about 50 km north of Whistler, British Columbia. Debris from the collision rained down on both sides of the Green River, with most of the airplane wreckage falling on a heavily occupied campground at the Nairn Falls Provincial Park. Fortunately, no one on the ground was injured.

The airplane pilot, his passenger, and a dog—also aboard the aircraft—were killed, as were the two occupants of the motorglider. The glider pilot was Rudy Rozsypalek, a 20-year soaring veteran and co-owner of the Pemberton Soaring Centre.

Click here for CBC’s accident coverage.

The Café staff offer our condolences to the families and friends of the Pemberton and Jacumba accident victims.