Schleicher ASH 26 E accident near Sparks, Nevada, November 2, 2005
On November 2, 2005 at about 5:40 pm local time, a Schleicher ASH 26 E (glider), registered N26XL, was destroyed in an accident near Sparks, Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions which resulted in a subsequent loss of control and an in-flight breakup. A contributing factor was the spool up delay for the emergency turn and bank indicator.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 2, 2005 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Sparks, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASH 26 E
- Registration
- N26XL · registry record · serial 26-181
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During cruise flight while in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), the pilot lost control of his glider and experienced an in-flight breakup. The wings separated from the glider, and the pilot bailed out. The flight was planned as an attempt to set a cross-country glider record using standing lenticular wave conditions along the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The pilot was on an instrument flight plan and was cleared for a block altitude between 18,000 and 28,000 feet. The pilot reported experiencing internal canopy icing that interfered with his view through the canopy. When wiping the canopy clear of frost, he observed that the glider was approaching clouds and would shortly be in instrument conditions. The pilot turned on his emergency standby gyro (electric turn and bank), but it did not spool up completely before he entered the clouds and lost control.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 20,500 hours in all; 330 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 13,200 as pilot in command; 2,850 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 255 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2004
- Maximum gross weight: 1,158 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Midwest AE50R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IYK Inyokern CA at 2:18 pm
- Destination: IYK Inyokern CA
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 29 knots, gusting 38
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm from RNO, 5 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.
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 LAX06LA024.