Schweizer SGS 1-26D accident near Windsor, Virginia, July 4, 2022
On July 4, 2022 at about 7:50 pm local time, a 1968 Schweizer SGS 1-26D (glider), registered N249AF, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Windsor, Virginia (Garner Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The glider’s encounter with atmospheric conditions, where lift was not sufficient to maintain flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 2022 · about 7:50 pm local time
- Place
- Windsor, Virginia · Garner Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer SGS 1-26D, built 1968 · all SGS 1-26Ds on the register
- Registration
- N249AF · registry record · serial 421
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that after departing for local area soaring, he found himself in “dying lift”. He attempted to recover altitude but was unsuccessful. He said that the glider encountered additional “sink” and did not have sufficient altitude to reach the airport. During the forced landing on rough terrain the left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident 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
- Loss of lift during enroute defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during enroute (descent)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Attain/maintain not possible
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Thermal lifting › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 368 hours in all; 116 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 276 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 4, 2021
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,553.0 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 6, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 700 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: 3VA8 Garner Airport VA at 5:08 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02/2, 2,600 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from KAKQ, 22 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KAKQ 041954Z AUTO VRB03KT 10SM SCT070 SCT085 27/12 A2990 RMK AO2 SLP126 T02670122
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ERA22LA365.