Schleicher ASW-24E accident near Hood River, Oregon, July 28, 2003
On July 28, 2003 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Schleicher ASW-24E (glider), registered N24YB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hood River, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to refuel prior to the flight, resulting in fuel exhaustion during the initial climb, followed by the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed. An inadvertent stall was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 2003 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Hood River, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASW-24E · all ASW-24Es on the register
- Registration
- N24YB · no longer on the register · serial 24851
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had just purchased the powered glider the day before the accident and accomplished one successful flight. Shortly after takeoff for the third flight on the second day, witnesses reported that the glider attained an altitude of approximately 300 feet agl when the engine lost power. The glider made a turn when it appeared to stall and then descended into an orchard. Post accident inspection of the engine revealed no fuel was present in the fuel lines to the engine and no evidence of a mechanical failure or malfuntion was found. The wing fuel tanks had been breached during the impact sequence. The previous owner reported that the glider had about 2.1 gallons of fuel, or about 40 minutes of engine run time at the beginning of the first flight. The owner also reported that after the accident, he noted that the same amount of fuel was still present in the spare fuel can used for fueling from the day before the accident. No fuel was added after the first flight on the first day. The installed Cambridge flight recorder indicated the engine run time for the two previous flights to be 28 minutes. The third flight was not recorded.
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: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Bombardier (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4S2 Hood River OR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Observation at 4:45 pm from CZK, 15 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 SEA03LA157.