Schweizer SGS 1-26E accident near Jean, Nevada, May 14, 2005
On May 14, 2005 at about 9:35 pm local time, a Schweizer SGS 1-26E (glider), registered N633S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jean, Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's in-flight decision to continue a flight with weak thermal lift activity, and his delayed recognition of a loss of altitude while attempting to find a thermal in which to soar. A factor in the accident was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 2005 · about 9:35 pm local time
- Place
- Jean, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer SGS 1-26E · all SGS 1-26Es on the register
- Registration
- N633S · registry record · serial 633
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot made a forced landing on desert terrain adjacent to a pipeline. The glider landed hard on a mound, bounced back into the air, and struck the ground at a 30-degree nose down attitude. The pilot said that after release from an aero tow he was unable to find sufficient thermals to support continued flight and decided to return to the airport. He indicated that he had not realized that he had lost 1,000 feet of altitude since release from the aero tow and he was now too low to either make it back to the airport or to pick a more suitable off airport landing site. He chose to land near a pipeline, which appeared to be smoother than the surrounding area. The pilot also reported that the area was typical of the desert terrain, flat with small mounds and hills, and rocks.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,077 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 606 as pilot in command; 280 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 500.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2004; 1.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 700 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0L7 Jean NV at 9:13 pm
- Destination: 0L7
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 11 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.77 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from LAS, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.