Schweizer SGS 1-23H-15 accident near Yadkinville, North Carolina, May 14, 2013
On May 14, 2013 at about 7:40 pm local time, a Schweizer SGS 1-23H-15 (glider), registered N9860E, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern base) near Yadkinville, North Carolina. It was a personal 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 pilot's improper altitude management while maneuvering for an off-airport landing, which resulted in a collision with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 2013 · about 7:40 pm local time
- Place
- Yadkinville, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer SGS 1-23H-15 · all SGS 1-23H-15s on the register
- Registration
- N9860E · no longer on the register · serial 69
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was conducting a local glider flight. After soaring for about 1 hour and 45 minutes, the pilot began to return to the departure airport. The pilot stated that the glider encountered a downdraft that would not allow him to return safely and he elected to land in a hay field about 3 miles northwest of the departure airport. The pilot further stated the approach was normal and at the "proper speed". While turning onto final approach the glider's right wing clipped a tree and spun around clockwise into trees. Postaccident examination of the glider revealed that the left and right wing leading edges incurred substantial damage due to impact with trees, and about three feet of the left wing tip was sheared off. Both spoilers were found in the full extended position. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during approach (VFR pattern base) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 388 hours in all; 108 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 325 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 11, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,157 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 8, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 750 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: 43NC Mocksville NC at 6:00 pm
- Destination: 43NC Mocksville NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 7 knots, gusting 9
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 pm from KINT, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on June 5, 2013. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo 1: Instrument Panel. (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 2: Fuselage. (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 3: Picture of the Cockpit. (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 4: Picture of the Left Wing. (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 5: Left Wing Tip. (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 6: Overhead Map. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Weather Data. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.