Schweizer SGS 2-32 accident near San Juan Baptista, California, October 9, 2021
On October 9, 2021 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 1966 Schweizer SGS 2-32 (glider), registered N87R, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near San Juan Baptista, California (Hollister Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The glider’s encounter with atmospheric conditions where the lift was not sufficient to maintain flight, which necessitated a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 9, 2021 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- San Juan Baptista, California · Hollister Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer SGS 2-32, built 1966 · all SGS 2-32s on the register
- Registration
- N87R · no longer on the register · serial 41
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the glider reported that, while on a sightseeing flight with two passengers, about 10 minutes into the flight, the glider encountered an area with a loss of lift. He turned toward an area where lift was expected; however, the glider continued to descend. The pilot stated that there was not sufficient altitude to reach the airport, and he elected to land on a dirt road. During the landing flare, about 4-5 ft above ground level (agl), the glider abruptly yawed to the left due to a collision with an object and dropped onto the dirt road in a flat attitude; the glider bounced once and then came to rest upright on the dirt road. The glider sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
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 defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Thermal lifting › Effect on equipment
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Attain/maintain not possible
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 3.6 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 7,000 as pilot in command; 500 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 30, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,270.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 21, 2021
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Hollister Soaring Center LLC
The flight
- Departed from: CVH Hollister CA at 10:25 pm
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 5 knots, gusting 11
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from KCVH, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KCVH 092255Z AUTO 32005G11KT 10SM CLR 24/05 A3011 RMK A01=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on March 7, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N87R the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.