Schleicher ASW-20B accident near Hobbs, New Mexico, July 11, 1986
On July 11, 1986 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Schleicher ASW-20B (glider), registered N26EE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hobbs, New Mexico. 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 1986 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hobbs, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASW-20B · all ASW-20Bs on the register
- Registration
- N26EE · registry record · serial 20689
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT SAID THAT HE WAS PARTICIPATING IN A GLIDER SOARING CONTEST WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. HE STATED THAT HE WAS FLYING ON THE SECOND LEG OF THE FLT WHEN HE RAN OUT OF THERMALS TO KEEP HIS GLIDER FLYING, AND HE WAS FORCED TO LAND PREMATURELY. ON A DOWNWIND TO BASE LEG, THE GLIDER STALLED, HIT TELEPHONE LINES, AND CRASHED.
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; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 10,384 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 107 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 117 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HBB Hobbs NM at 7:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 12 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 99°F (37°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 DEN86LA200.