# Accident 20250402008869A: Schleicher ASW-19, Zephyrhills, FL, April 2, 2025

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 2, 2025, 14:30 local time
- Place: Zephyrhills, FL
- Airport: Zephyrhills Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.2565° N, 82.1499° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.2565&lon=-82.1499&mi=10
- Aircraft: N37PL, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N37PL) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Schleicher ASW-19 (registry code 3801508, https://openairdocs.org/model/schleicher-asw-19) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: SCHLEICHER ASW-19
- Reported engine: AMA/EXPR UNKNOWN ENG
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 379 total, 1 in this make and model, 8 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA25LA181](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA181) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250402008869A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A SCHLEICHER GLIDER, DEPARTED FROM ZEPHYRHILLS AIRPORT AND TRAVELED A DISTANCE OF 8 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. DURING THE RETURN FLIGHT, THE GLIDER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE ANY THERMALS TO GENERATE LIFT, NECESSITATING AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD. UNFORTUNATELY, THE GLIDER STRUCK A FENCE DURING THE LANDING, RESULTING IN INJURIES TO THE PILOT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA25LA181](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA181), Apr 2, 2025: Schleicher ASW-19 (N37PL), Zephyrhills, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s inadequate inflight planning and an encounter with atmospheric conditions where the lift was not sufficient to maintain flight, resulting in an off-airport landing and collision with a…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.