Schleicher ASW 27 accident near Reno, Nevada, April 5, 2015
On April 5, 2015 at about 9:24 pm local time, a 1998 Schleicher ASW 27 (glider), registered N27QV, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Reno, Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The glider's encounter with severe turbulent atmospheric conditions after the pilot inadvertently entered clouds, which led to his inability to maintain a proper airspeed and the subsequent in-flight breakup of the glider.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 5, 2015 · about 9:24 pm local time
- Place
- Reno, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASW 27, built 1998 · all ASW 27s on the register
- Registration
- N27QV · no longer on the register · serial 27098
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot was conducting a local personal flight in a glider. The pilot reported that, while about 14,000 ft, he attempted to navigate through a gap in the clouds, but the clouds quickly filled in and engulfed the glider. The glider's airspeed increased, and the wings subsequently separated from the glider. The pilot bailed out of the glider and descended to the ground using a personal parachute; the glider fell to the ground in pieces. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preexisting structural anomalies. A review of weather conditions reported in the area about the time of the accident revealed sustained wind from the south between about 25 and 30 knots with gusts between 30 and 35 knots. Geostationary weather satellite imagery showed standing clouds over the region in the hour or two leading up to the accident, and polar-orbiting satellite data depicted clouds along the final portion of the glider's flightpath about 40 minutes before the accident. Given the clouds and wind, the atmosphere was likely unstable, which is indicative of severe, transient, and short-lived turbulence. It is likely that the glider encountered severe turbulence while the pilot was maneuvering it in the clouds, which caused the glider's airspeed to increase beyond its structural limitations and led to its in-flight breakup.
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
- VFR encounter with IMC during maneuvering
- Turbulence encounter during maneuvering defining event
- Aircraft structural failure during maneuvering
- Part(s) separation from AC during maneuvering
- Off-field or emergency landing during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Wing structure › Spar (on wing) › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Capability exceeded
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › (general) › Effect on operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 190 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 18,500 as pilot in command; 6,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 5, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,551 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 26, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: MEV Minden NV at 2:15 pm
- Destination: MEV Minden NV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 028° at 28 knots, gusting 34
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from RNO, 3 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.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.