Schweizer SGS 1-26E accident near El Paso, Texas, October 8, 2004
On October 8, 2004 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Schweizer SGS 1-26E (glider), registered N17911, was substantially damaged in an accident near El Paso, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's misjudgment of distance and altitude during a local soaring flight. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 8, 2004 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- El Paso, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer SGS 1-26E · all SGS 1-26Es on the register
- Registration
- N17911 · registry record · serial 541
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While soaring near El Paso, Texas, the thermal conditions became weak and the glider began to lose altitude. With a landing becoming imminent, the pilot elected to land at a new housing development under construction. On the landing roll out, the glider bounced over a street curb and the right outboard wing contacted a small tree. The glider came to rest in an upright position.
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: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 650 hours in all; 650 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: July 31, 2003
- Medical certificate: None
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T27 El Paso TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
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 DFW05CA004.