Schweizer SGS 1-26E accident near Wake Forest, North Carolina, April 15, 2023
On April 15, 2023 at about 7:11 pm local time, a 1974 Schweizer SGS 1-26E (glider), registered N33873, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Wake Forest, North Carolina (Crooked Creek airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed during the landing approach, which resulted in an exceedance of the glider’s critical angle of attack, an aerodynamic stall, and a loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 2023 · about 7:11 pm local time
- Place
- Wake Forest, North Carolina · Crooked Creek · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer SGS 1-26E, built 1974 · all SGS 1-26Es on the register
- Registration
- N33873 · registry record · serial 615
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the student pilot of the glider, another glider was still on the runway as he was entering the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern for landing. He decided to land short of the turf runway and entered the glider into a forward slip in order to touch down in the intended area. He reported that, upon removing the slip, he noted that the airspeed decayed “from 60 to 30,” and about 40 to 45 ft above the ground, he realized that the glider was “stalled” and that he “had no control over the aircraft.” The glider impacted a parked tow airplane and terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the leading edge of the left wing and the aft fuselage. The student pilot reported no preimpact 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
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during landing defining event
- Loss of control in flight during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Dual student
- Flight time: 25 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 10 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,425 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 700 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: North Carolina Soaring Association
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 2,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,400 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 11:15 am from KLHZ, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 29, 2023. 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, 6 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record A�� Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 ERA23LA207.