Glasflugel KESTREL accident near Little Switzerland, North Carolina, March 5, 2026
On March 5, 2026 at about 6:59 pm local time, a 1969 Glasflugel KESTREL (glider), registered N9919, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Little Switzerland, North Carolina (Strawberry Ridge airport). 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
A loss of thermal lift during a glider flight, which resulted in a collision with trees during a landing approach to a diversionary airport.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 5, 2026 · about 6:59 pm local time · cases in 2026
- Place
- Little Switzerland, North Carolina · Strawberry Ridge · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Glasflugel KESTREL, built 1969 · all KESTRELs on the register
- Registration
- N9919 · registry record · serial 4
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the glider had located five possible locations for off airport landings in advance of the glider flying event. On the accident flight, after receiving an aerotow, he maneuvered in the local area and found thermal lift that he used to climb further. After finding additional lift, the pilot flew across a ridge line toward a mountain where he hoped to find additional lift but was unsuccessful. He then turned around attempted to cross back over the ridge line where he knew there were several sites for an off-airport landing. The pilot realized that he would not be able to cross the ridge and then observed a private turf runway that he had not previously seen. During his landing approach the glider struck trees about 200 ft short of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to its fuselage and wings. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of 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
- Off-field or emergency landing during maneuvering
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 268 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 1, 2024
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,856 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 10, 2026
- Maximum gross weight: 880 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: 9A9 Marion NC at 6:16 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 1,174 ft by 42 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from KMRN, 25 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KMRN 051855Z AUTO 20008KT 160V230 10SM CLR 27/13 A3017 RMK AO2 T02670127=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Right Forward Quartering View of the Inverted Glider at the Accident Site. Note the Partial Chordwise Fracture of the Right Wing
Photograph 2 – Right Forward Quartering View of the Inverted Glider at the Accident Site. Note the Partial Chordwise Fracture of the Right WingThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on June 17, 2026. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - Flight Path Traces | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 4 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15, and NTSB Evidence Control Form | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N9919 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Glasflugel KESTREL 13 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Glasflugel 191 aircraft on the register
- Shiflet Field · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in North Carolina 1,762 since 1982 · 304 in the last ten years
- North Carolina 7,130 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA26LA138.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.