Zs Delta-Bielsko Wroclaw SZD 36 A COBRA 15 accident near Hammond, Illinois, May 27, 2018
On May 27, 2018 at about 7:05 pm local time, a 1974 Zs Delta-Bielsko Wroclaw SZD 36 A COBRA 15 (glider), registered N1075G, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Hammond, Illinois. 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 loss of directional control during an off-airport landing and his subsequent failure to maintain clearance from power pole guy wires.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 2018 · about 7:05 pm local time
- Place
- Hammond, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Zs Delta-Bielsko Wroclaw SZD 36 A COBRA 15 A, built 1974
- Registration
- N1075G · no longer on the register · serial W-691
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the glider pilot, while skirting rain showers, he was unable to find lift and made an off-airport landing. The pilot made a straight-in approach to a field and noticed that power line poles lined the west side of the field. He made his approach just east of the poles so that he would have access to a road and could load the glider onto a transport trailer. The glider touched down on the dirt field, drifted toward the power line poles, and the left wing struck a guy wire that ran perpendicular to the poles. The glider sustained substantial damage to the left wing and the left side of the fuselage near the wing root. The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented if he had not landed so close to the poles. Further, he should have chosen a field earlier when he had more altitude, circled the field, and landed near the center. The pilot reported that there were no 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
- Off-field or emergency landing during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Effect on equipment
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 293 hours in all; 134 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 264 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 6, 2018
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,042 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 4, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 847 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: 2K0 Monticello IL at 5:48 pm
- Destination: Hammond IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 7:14 pm from KDEC, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 29, 2018. 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 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N1075G the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.