Schleicher ASW-24 accident near Williams, California, May 27, 2006
On May 27, 2006 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Schleicher ASW-24 (glider), registered N5LX, was substantially damaged in an accident near Williams, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of thermal lift during cruise flight that resulted in a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 2006 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Williams, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASW-24 · all ASW-24s on the register
- Registration
- N5LX · registry record · serial 24199
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during a glider flight, the glider lost available lift. The pilot force landed the glider in a field, short of the airport. During the landing, the right wing impacted an unknown object and the empennage section separated from the remainder of the airframe at the tailboom. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions.
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
- Flight time: 290 hours in all; 220 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CN12 Williams CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from MYV, 27 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 SEA07CA138.