Pzl-Swidnik PW-5 accident near Marana, Arizona, April 26, 2010
On April 26, 2010, a Pzl-Swidnik PW-5 (glider), registered N500JN, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Marana, Arizona. 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 pilot's inability to find thermal lift. Contributing to the accident was the failure of a computer that provided glide information and vertical speed instrumentation as a result of an improperly routed electrical cable that caused a short in the electrical system and the pilot's lack of experience in the glider.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 26, 2010
- Place
- Marana, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pzl-Swidnik PW-5 · all PW-5s on the register
- Registration
- N500JN · registry record · serial 1706010
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The glider pilot had been checked out in the glider the day of the accident and it was the first time she had flown this make and model. Approximately two hours into the flight, she smelled a burning rubber smell before all of the electronics ceased operating. She turned back to her departure airport, but due to her lack of experience she was unable to find a thermal and the glider continued to descend. During the forced off-field landing, the glider impacted trees and desert brush. Postaccident examination of the glider revealed that the cable supplying power to the removable data logger was routed improperly and had rubbed against a metal computer port, causing an electrical short and disabling the glide computer, global positioning system, and the vertical speed indicator.
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
What happened, in order
- Electrical system malf/failure during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of lift during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience w/ equipment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Thermal lifting › Not specified
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Indicating/recording systems › Instrument panel › Inoperative
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › (general) › Malfunction
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 62 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 24 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 2, 2009
- Medical certificate: None
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,834 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, January 10, 2010
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Tucson Soaring Club INC
The flight
- Departed from: AZ67 El Tiro AZ at 10:00 pm
- Destination: AZ67 El Tiro AZ
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 7 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from RYN, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 WPR10CA215.