Schleicher ASW-20 accident near Pocahontas, Illinois, July 4, 2010
On July 4, 2010 at about 6:50 pm local time, a Schleicher ASW-20 (glider), registered N82BK, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Pocahontas, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain a wings-level attitude prior to impacting high vegetation and terrain during the off-field landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 2010 · about 6:50 pm local time · cases in 2010
- Place
- Pocahontas, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASW-20 · all ASW-20s on the register
- Registration
- N82BK · registry record · serial 20580
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The glider was towed to an altitude of 1,800 feet by an airplane and then released for a local flight. Radio communication with the glider was attempted about an hour later; however, it was not reestablished. Three airplanes went to look for the glider and located it about six hours after departure, in a field of high vegetation. The glider was equipped with a datalogger that indicated the glider was in a left turn about 250 feet north of the accident site prior to impact. The left wing's leading edge was torn and its tear contained vegetation. The landing gear was extended. An on-scene examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. While the pilot was taking medication for the treatment of diabetes, attention deficit disorder, and anxiety, the investigation could not determine what role, if any, the pilot’s medications or medical conditions may have played in the accident. The pilot did not have a current Federal Aviation Administration medical certificate, nor was one required for the glider operations in which he was engaged.
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
What happened, in order
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 866 hours in all
- Last flight review: June 28, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,784 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 24, 2009
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: H07 Highland IL at 6:00 pm
- Destination: H07 Highland IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 am from BLV, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on March 24, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GPS 17 - Tabular Data | data file | Download |
| 2 | GPS 17 - Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 15 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Pilot and Aircraft Logbook Excerpts | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N82BK on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Schleicher ASW-20 101 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Schleicher 506 aircraft on the register
- Highland-Winet Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Illinois 2,118 since 1982 · 251 in the last ten years
- Illinois 8,067 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN10LA368.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.