Glider’s Heavenly Landing: A Miraculous Mistake?

February 6, 2012 10:12 PM

Reporting Neda Iranpour

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE (CBS13) — At South Lake Tahoe’s Heavenly Ski Resort, the run turned into a runway on Sunday, and staff at the resort are fuming over the pilot’s potentially deadly decision.

The pilot says his last resort was to land right on a beginner ski slope, a first-time landing for a pilot with four decades of experience.

The plane usually takes passengers from Minden, Nev., to Lake Tahoe. They even dip down pretty close to Heavenly, but have never landed there until now.

“We’re pretty outraged,” Heavenly’s Russ Pecoraro said. “This shouldn’t have happened. We think it’s irresponsible and selfish on behalf of the pilot and this company to put their plane in a crowded ski resort.”

But the owner of Soaring NV says her pilot didn’t have a choice.

“As good as we get to read the skies, the clouds and winds were surprising,” Laurie Harden said.

On Super Bowl Sunday the odds were not on the pilot’s side. Because the motor-less gliders are at the mercy of the air, if the air sinks so does the plane.

“He kept a cool head and did a remarkable job getting the glider on the ground,” Harden said.

The plane’s wingspan is about 60 feet so the ski run was just wide enough giving him enough room to land.

“He landed uphill to avoid snowboarders,” Harden said. “He sat down when he saw them coming.”

Some may say it was a miracle on the mountain, with no one hurt and not even a scratch on the plane.

But Heavenly is convinced anywhere else would have been safer to steer than on a busy beginner run.

“He narrowly missed our tram, narrowly missed our California lodge, narrowly missed the lift,” Pecoraro said.

SNOWY

I GUESS THE PIOUSED AND POMPOUS SELF RIGHTIOUS A-HOLES THAT OWN / RUN SKI RESORTS WOULD HAVE THEM SMASH INTO TREES OR BOULDERS.
NotHeaven

I am sure it was crowded on super bowl sunday, with no rain the past two weeks…heavenly get over yourself…
John “bumper” Morgan

I know the glider pilot/instructor well. He is a careful, considerate, and accomplished pilot, not a “hot dogger” or risk taker. If his landing would have put those on the ground in danger, no question he would have taken the trees.

bumper
tow pilot
Minden
sandsconnect

Those gliders come way to close to Heavenly. I know tons of people who have called this company to report them flying to close and they do nothing. It is not acceptable to put so many innocent lives in danger for your own personal thrill.

And yes if these fools had a shred of courage and chivalry they would have put thier glider in a tree, boulder or some other spot than WHERE LITTLE KIDS ARE SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING.

I can only assume the 3 above work for these idiots and are doing damage control on the internet.
MR

Ok, this is another one – and I can assure Mr. “sandsconnect” that I do NOT work for nobody.
If you don’t know what a glider is, how it works, which kind of control you have, how do you think you can judge? A glider landing uphill can stop in about thirty yards or less. Really, totally, no pilot would ever try to land if there’s even the slightest chance to hit someone or something, in that case he would have absolutely gone on the trees, with sure consequences for the pilot and the passenger. But if there was nobody at risk (and this is a matter of fact – otherwise the results would have been different) why not choose to land in the safest way?
Looks like “sandsconnect” uses the world “idiots” slightly too quickly – maybe he had a mirror around that confused him while writing…