Dg Flugzeugbau GMBH DG 1000S accident near Lake Chelan, Washington, June 22, 2022
On June 22, 2022 at about 10:15 pm local time, a 2003 Dg Flugzeugbau GMBH DG 1000S (glider), registered N767SS, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Lake Chelan, Washington. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The glider’s encounter with atmospheric conditions where the lift was not sufficient to maintain flight. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to overfly a suitable landing site which resulted in an off-field landing in a lake.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 22, 2022 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Chelan, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dg Flugzeugbau GMBH DG 1000S, built 2003 · all DG 1000Ss on the register
- Registration
- N767SS · no longer on the register · serial 1037S36
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported he was soaring when he penetrated two areas of “heavy sink” before reaching the final wave lift of the flight that took him to 16,500 ft. When he left the wave lift the glider began to sink and he quickly focused on regaining lift and did not think about the final glide back to the departure airport. The pilot subsequently overflew a suitable alternative airport as he continued to search for lift while the glider continued to sink at about 1,000 ft per minute. The pilot eventually maneuvered into a position where his best option was to land in a lake when he could not find sufficient lift or return to an airport. Both wings were substantially damaged when the pilot landed in the lake. 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 (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Thermal lifting › Effect on operation
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,477 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 1,340 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: S52 Methow WA at 7:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; a few clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from KEAT, 36 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KEAT 222155Z AUTO 33009G18KT 10SM SCT080 27/08 A2995 RMK AO2 SLP132 T02720083=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 2, 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 WPR22LA223.