A Soar Minden instructor and his student attempted to return to Minden-Tahoe Airport after their glider was released prematurely from the towplane, but they didn't make the runway, according to Airport Manager Jim Braswell.
Instructor Joe Rasymas and an unidentified student were injured in the crash.
Former Carson Valley resident Kevin Lummus said he was at the county maintenance yard Tuesday afternoon when the glider crash occurred. The glider was coming right at him when it hit the roof of a building.
"I saw the glider turning back toward the airport and the tail caught a wire, spun the glider around and it jump-skipped off a building," he said. "It ran into another power line and then I lost sight of it.
"I thought for sure they would hit all that stuff in the bus yard, but he cleared the fence and landed in the field. He did a belly landing. I can't see how it didn't flip over," he said.
Lummus, general manager of Fastenal in Carson City, said he was getting ready to climb the fence when he saw the occupants of the glider get out.
"It looked like the pilot was getting out and the guy in there gave me a thumbs up," Lummus said. "We stood there and talked until the ambulances came. The pilot did an incredible job. He saved his passenger's life."
The plane lost a wing and is considered a complete loss. The plane also knocked a transformer off of a power pole, Braswell said.
Both instructor and student were hospitalized, and the worst injuries were classified as "serious" in a report by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Tony Sabino of Soar Minden would not comment concerning the incident.
This is Douglas County's second glider accident in about two weeks.
Glider pilot Akihiro Hirao parachuted to safety after his plane was hit by a Hawker XP800 jet, as the latter was making an approach into Reno-Tahoe Airport on August 28.
The jet was able to make a successful emergency landing without landing gear at the Carson City airport. The pilot received minor injuries, but the co-pilot and three passengers were unharmed.
Susie Vasquez can be reached at svasquez@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 211.
