THE The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has released the results of its investigation in the crash of a glider on May 29, 2024, which claimed the life of a Calgary man.
Kerry Stevenson, 65, was killed when his glider crashed while he was competing in the Canadian National Gliding Championships, hosted by the Cu Nim Sliding Club south of Highway 7 between Diamond Valley and Okotoks.
Kerry Stevenson was killed in a glider accident in southern Alberta on Wednesday, May 29, 2024.
Courtesy of Cu Nim Gliding Club
THE TSB says Stevenson was high for nearly 30 yearshad acquired approximately 750 hours of glider flight time and provided glider instruction to other club members.
The report states that gliding conditions on the day of the accident were “poor” and that a number of gliders returned to the competition landing strip (aerodome) after flying for less than 20 minutes.
Get the latest national news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up to receive breaking news alerts sent directly to you as they happen.
After unsuccessfully trying for 23 minutes to gain altitude, Stevenson also turned toward the airdome, but his glider ended up spinning and losing more than 60 meters (200 feet) of height. altitude.
He managed to recover the plane after a spin, but the TSB says that, shortly after, witnesses reported seeing “something fall from the glider and realizing it was the canopy, followed shortly after.” shortly afterwards by the pilot who jumped from the glider without a visible parachute. canopy. The glider then pitched up and entered a spin to the left and collided with the terrain, causing significant damage.
The report states that “the pilot, who was wearing a parachute, struck the ground and was fatally injured.”
An examination of the glider, after the accident, showed that there were no problems with the flight controls or other systems of the plane and Stevenson had the appropriate license and medical certificates to operate it.
The TSB investigation identified two problems with the parachute, noting that it was 26 years old at the time of the accident, which exceeded its lifespan by 20 years, and that it had not been repackaged as required in January 2024.
The report states that Stevenson also practiced ejecting from the glider, but only while it was stationary on the ground and there was no record of his parachute jump.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.