Schweizer SGS 2-33A accident near Lake Elsinore, California, July 5, 2026
On July 5, 2026 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1968 Schweizer SGS 2-33A (glider), registered N5790S, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Lake Elsinore, California (Skylark Airport). 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 student pilot’s failure to maintain a proper glidepath, which resulted in a long landing and collision with a person on the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2026 · about 6:30 pm local time · cases in 2026
- Place
- Lake Elsinore, California · Skylark Airport · 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
- Schweizer SGS 2-33A, built 1968 · all SGS 2-33As on the register
- Registration
- N5790S · registry record · serial 117
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that he extended the downwind leg to accommodate a departing tow airplane. During the subsequent approach, the glider was high. The pilot did not use the dive brakes to reduce altitude and attempted a forward slip; however, the glider remained high and fast throughout the approach. As a result, the glider touched down near the end and right side of the runway. During the subsequent landing rollout, the right wing struck a person on the ground, which resulted in serious injury. The glider then ground looped and sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported 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
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Airport occurrence during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Landing area overshoot during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 123.9 hours in all; 23.9 in this make and model; 6.3 in the last 90 days; 3.9 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,651.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 6, 2026
- Maximum gross weight: 1,040 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11R, 2,701 ft by 90 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:35 am from KHMT, 15 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KHMT 051835Z AUTO 10SM CLR 31/11 A3000 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures 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
3 documents, released by the NTSB on October 8, 2026. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statements | 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 N5790S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N5790S on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Schweizer SGS 2 gliders (2-33 and 2-32) 275 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Schweizer 1,186 aircraft on the register
- Skylark Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,094 in the last ten years
- California 28,286 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N5790S 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR26LA246.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.