50-year-old dies when his ‘experimental’ glider crashes into garage, Nebraska cops say
A Nebraska man died after his glider crashed into the roof of a garage at a rural home, authorities said.
Deputies were called shortly after noon Sept. 2 about a one-manned aircraft crash at a rural residence just southwest of Duncan, according to a Sept. 3 news release from the Platte County Sheriff’s Office.
Upon arrival, authorities found 50-year-old David Bower still secured to an “experimental Apex ultralight trike glider” that had crashed into a garage roof, the sheriff’s office said.
Trike gliders are equipped with a motor and three wheels attached to the fuselage.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, an ultralight vehicle has one seat and is used for sport or recreation only. Powered ultralight vehicles weigh no more than 254 pounds when empty.
Bower, the pilot of the glider, was pronounced dead at the scene, and an autopsy has been ordered, authorities said.
The accident is being investigated by the Platte County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board, according to authorities.
Bower, of Columbus, was remembered by his loved ones as an “adrenaline junkie” who also enjoyed drag racing, trucking and working on vehicles, according to his obituary.
Duncan is about an 85-mile drive northwest from Lincoln.
This story was originally published September 4, 2024 at 2:43 PM with the headline "50-year-old dies when his ‘experimental’ glider crashes into garage, Nebraska cops say."
