Schleicher ASW-20 accident near Hood River, Oregon, September 29, 2022
On September 29, 2022 at about 9:07 pm local time, a 1981 Schleicher ASW-20 (glider), registered N220CW, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Hood River, Oregon (Ken Jernstedt Airfield). 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 pilot’s encounter with atmospheric conditions where the lift was not sufficient to maintain flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 29, 2022 · about 9:07 pm local time · cases in 2022
- Place
- Hood River, Oregon · Ken Jernstedt Airfield · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASW-20, built 1981 · all ASW-20s on the register
- Registration
- N220CW · no longer on the register · serial 20366
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot in the glider reported that, during the return flight to the airport, he encountered a higher sink rate than expected and did not have sufficient altitude to reach the airport. During an emergency landing in a fruit orchard, the glider landing gear contacted utility pole wires, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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 maneuvering 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 operation
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Attain/maintain not possible
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 435 hours in all; 321 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: September 30, 2022
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,165 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 18, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: 4S2 Hood River OR at 1:51 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 3,040 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; clear at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from K4S2
Weather report (METAR): K4S2 292055Z AUTO 30010G16KT 10SM BKN060 BKN070 21/13 A3011 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on January 5, 2023. 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 | Photo | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N220CW: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Schleicher ASW-20 101 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Schleicher 506 aircraft on the register
- Ken Jernstedt Airfield · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Oregon 1,864 since 1982 · 279 in the last ten years
- Oregon 7,008 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR22LA364.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.