Alexander Schleicher GMBH & CO ASW 27-18 accident near Greenwood, South Carolina, April 20, 2026
On April 20, 2026 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 2010 Alexander Schleicher GMBH & CO ASW 27-18 (glider), registered N27CU, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Greenwood, South Carolina. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The glider pilot’s encounter with a strong sink/loss of lift, which resulted in a forced landing to unsuitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 20, 2026 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Greenwood, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Alexander Schleicher GMBH & CO ASW 27-18, built 2010
- Registration
- N27CU · registry record · serial 29058
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The glider pilot reported that he was participating in a racing competition. He was able to find thermals up to 7,000 ft mean sea level (msl) and later could not climb higher than 4,500 ft msl. At that time, the glider was about 20 miles from his intended destination, which the pilot thought he could reach; however, the glider subsequently encountered a strong sink, and he could not find any more thermals. Unable to glide to an airport, he attempted a forced landing to a field. During the forced landing, the left wing contacted a swale in the middle of the field. The glider spun, the tailboom also contacted the swale and separated, and the glider came to rest upright. The pilot also reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions 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 (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Thermal lifting › Not specified
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Effect on operation
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Attain/maintain not possible
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine sea; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,933 hours in all; 1,171 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 5, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,322 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: SC95 Perry SC at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.24 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from GRD, 7 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KGRD 201856Z AUTO 10SM CLR 22/01 A3024 RMK AO2 SLP238 T02220006
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The 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
2 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 | Investigation Photograph | PDF, 1 page · our copy | 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.