Schleicher ASW28 accident near Batesburg, South Carolina, June 21, 2003
On June 21, 2003 at about 7:20 pm local time, a Schleicher ASW28 (glider), registered N128ED, was substantially damaged in an accident near Batesburg, South Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of thermal lifting action that resulted in the in-flight collision with trees during an attempted forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 21, 2003 · about 7:20 pm local time
- Place
- Batesburg, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASW28 · all ASW28s on the register
- Registration
- N128ED · registry record · serial 28028
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the thermals became weak, the glider began to lose altitude, and landing became imminent. The pilot stated that he headed to a "clear green area beyond a stand of trees." The glider contacted trees before coming to rest on the ground in a nose low attitude. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions with the glider prior to the flight. Examination of the wreckage revealed the right wing was cracked at the root and the left wing separated from the fuselage at the root. The fuselage was crushed from the nose section aft to the pilot's station and the canopy was shattered. The empennage was separated from the tail section forward of the tail assembly. According to the pilot, all contest participants received a weather briefing during the initial race briefing.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 9,822 hours in all; 94 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 108 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 15, 2003; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,225 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PRVT Perry SC at 5:00 pm
- Destination: PRVT Perry SC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from AGS, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.