Schleicher ASW-27 accident near Windsor, Virginia, July 31, 2004
On July 31, 2004 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Schleicher ASW-27 (glider), registered N127FP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Windsor, Virginia. 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 improper use of a navigation aid, which resulted in him becoming lost, and having to perform a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2004 · about 9:30 pm local time · cases in 2004
- Place
- Windsor, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASW-27 · all ASW-27s on the register
- Registration
- N127FP · registry record · serial 27065
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
As the pilot was attempting to return to the airport after a soaring flight, he could not visually obtain it. The pilot then attempted to use GPS data to locate the airport, but another airport was mistakenly selected in the GPS unit. As the altitude of the glider continued to decay, the pilot elected to perform a forced landing to a field. Upon touching down in the field, the glider encountered a ditch, and came to rest upright.
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: recreational
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 6,382 hours in all; 283 in this make and model; 5,694 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 403 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2004
- Maximum gross weight: 1,102 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: 3VA8 Windsor VA at 5:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 9:41 pm from FKN, 10 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N127FP on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Schleicher ASW-27 90 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Schleicher 506 aircraft on the register
- Garner Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Virginia 1,361 since 1982 · 228 in the last ten years
- Virginia 5,973 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/NYC04LA182.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.