Schleicher ASW-27 accident near Preston, Idaho, July 21, 2011
On July 21, 2011, a Schleicher ASW-27 (glider), registered N78AB, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Preston, Idaho. 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 glider's impact with crops during the off-airport landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 2011
- Place
- Preston, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASW-27 · all ASW-27s on the register
- Registration
- N78AB · registry record · serial 27207
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The glider pilot reported that he was unable to find thermals that would provide suitable lift for continued flight. Subsequently, a field was selected that the pilot assessed was adequate for a successful landing. After overflying the field at 1,000 feet above ground level the pilot began his approach. The approach and touchdown were uneventful. During the landing roll, as the pilot deployed the speedbrakes and applied braking, the glider pitched forward and the left and right wings contacted crops that were located on either side of the glider's landing roll. The left wing engaged the crops more fully than the right wing and the glider yawed to the left before coming to rest. As a result, the empennage was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe that would have precluded normal flight.
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
- Loss of lift during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,153 hours in all; 531 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 1,136 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 21, 2011
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 532 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 24, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 1,102 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: LGU Logan UT at 8:57 pm
- Destination: N/A Preston ID
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 186° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 11:51 pm from KLGU, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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 WPR11CA342.