What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 1, 2025, at 1500 local time, a private pilot was operating a Schweizer sgs 1-26C glider, in the vicinity of Sky Soaring Airport (55LL) in Hampshire, IL on a local recreational flight. There were no passengers on board. The flight was conducted in visual meteorological conditions (VMC) and using visual flight rules (VFR). The nearest automatic terminal information service (ATIS) reported calm conditions and clear skies, kvys 011955Z auto 31005KT 10SM clr 25/03 A2992 rmk AO2 T02540029.
The pilot in command (PIC) was returning to 55LL following a leisure flight conducted in the local area. The PIC approached the airport from the south with the intention of entering a left downwind for runway 27. Approximately 2 miles south of the airport, the PIC encountered rising air consistent with thermal lift and initiated a forward slip to increase descent rate and regain the desired glidepath. At the conclusion of the slip, the PIC noted another glider on the runway, at about the midpoint of runway 27. Next to the glider was a golf cart that is utilized as a tow vehicle. Neither appeared to be moving. The PIC initiated a 360 while attempting communication regarding the delay of the aircraft and vehicle on the runway, with no response. The PIC misjudged his descent rate and ended up lower than anticipated. As the PIC entered a left downwind for runway 27, he recognized that he was too low to complete a standard traffic pattern to runway 27. In an attempt to avoid the aircraft and vehicle on the runway, the PIC elected to turn directly toward the airport and land on runway 09. The aircraft touched down on runway 09 with approximately 1/3 of the runway remaining. The aircraft overran the end of the runway and came to rest in a culvert beyond the departure end. A post-accident conversation with the occupants of the aircraft and vehicle delayed on the runway revealed that the tow vehicle had caught on fire. Occupants of the tow vehicle were unable to respond to the pics queries as they were responding to the vehicle fire.
Upon inspection, a continuity check of the flight controls demonstrated all movements correct and functioning. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the left wing with the root area appearing buckled with popped fasteners, the midsection skin was creased, and the wingtip dented and scratched. The pilot was uninjured.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 1, 2025, AT 1500 LOCAL TIME, A PRIVATE PILOT WAS OPERATING A SCHWEIZER SGS 1-26C GLIDER, IN THE VICINITY OF SKY SOARING AIRPORT (55LL) IN HAMPSHIRE, IL ON A LOCAL RECREATIONAL FLIGHT. THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS ON BOARD. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) AND USING VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR). THE NEAREST AUTOMATIC TERMINAL INFORMATION SERVICE (ATIS) REPORTED CALM CONDITIONS AND CLEAR SKIES, KVYS 011955Z AUTO 31005KT 10SM CLR 25/03 A2992 RMK AO2 T02540029.
THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) WAS RETURNING TO 55LL FOLLOWING A LEISURE FLIGHT CONDUCTED IN THE LOCAL AREA. THE PIC APPROACHED THE AIRPORT FROM THE SOUTH WITH THE INTENTION OF ENTERING A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 27. APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT, THE PIC ENCOUNTERED RISING AIR CONSISTENT WITH THERMAL LIFT AND INITIATED A FORWARD SLIP TO INCREASE DESCENT RATE AND REGAIN THE DESIRED GLIDEPATH. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE SLIP, THE PIC NOTED ANOTHER GLIDER ON THE RUNWAY, AT ABOUT THE MIDPOINT OF RUNWAY 27. NEXT TO THE GLIDER WAS A GOLF CART THAT IS UTILIZED AS A TOW VEHICLE. NEITHER APPEARED TO BE MOVING. THE PIC INITIATED A 360 WHILE ATTEMPTING COMMUNICATION REGARDING THE DELAY OF THE AIRCRAFT AND VEHICLE ON THE RUNWAY, WITH NO RESPONSE. THE PIC MISJUDGED HIS DESCENT RATE AND ENDED UP LOWER THAN ANTICIPATED. AS THE PIC ENTERED A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 27, HE RECOGNIZED THAT HE WAS TOO LOW TO COMPLETE A STANDARD TRAFFIC PATTERN TO RUNWAY 27. IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID THE AIRCRAFT AND VEHICLE ON THE RUNWAY, THE PIC ELECTED TO TURN DIRECTLY TOWARD THE AIRPORT AND LAND ON RUNWAY 09. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON RUNWAY 09 WITH APPROXIMATELY 1/3 OF THE RUNWAY REMAINING. THE AIRCRAFT OVERRAN THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND CAME TO REST IN A CULVERT BEYOND THE DEPARTURE END. A POST-ACCIDENT CONVERSATION WITH THE OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT AND VEHICLE DELAYED ON THE RUNWAY REVEALED THAT THE TOW VEHICLE HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE. OCCUPANTS OF THE TOW VEHICLE WERE UNABLE TO RESPOND TO THE PICS QUERIES AS THEY WERE RESPONDING TO THE VEHICLE FIRE.
UPON INSPECTION, A CONTINUITY CHECK OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS DEMONSTRATED ALL MOVEMENTS CORRECT AND FUNCTIONING. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING WITH THE ROOT AREA APPEARING BUCKLED WITH POPPED FASTENERS, THE MIDSECTION SKIN WAS CREASED, AND THE WINGTIP DENTED AND SCRATCHED. THE PILOT WAS UNINJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.