Schweizer 1-26B accident near New Douglas, Illinois, July 20, 2002
On July 20, 2002 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Schweizer 1-26B (glider), registered N111HK, was substantially damaged in an accident near New Douglas, Illinois (Silver Creek Gliderport airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The probable cause of this accident was a failure to maintain the proper glide path and sufficient obstacle clearance while on final approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 2002 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- New Douglas, Illinois · Silver Creek Gliderport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer 1-26B
- Registration
- N111HK · registry record · serial 353
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On July 20, 2002, at 1500 central daylight time, a Schweizer model 1-26B glider, N111HK, piloted by a student pilot, was substantially damaged when it struck a pole while on final approach to runway 18 (2,500 feet x 200 feet, turf) at the Silver Creek Gliderport (3IL1), New Douglas, Illinois. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 34 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 13 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,530 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 20, 2002; 65 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 600 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: N/A; 0 hours total
- Operator: Silvercreek Glider Club Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: 3IL1 New Douglas IL at 7:45 pm
- Destination: 3IL1 New Douglas IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,500 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 7:49 pm from ALN, 19 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI02CA201.