# Accident 20260420006739A: Alexander Schleicher Gmbh & Co ASW 27-18, Greenwood, SC, April 20, 2026

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 20, 2026, 14:30 local time
- Place: Greenwood, SC
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.1308° N, 82.1628° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.1308&lon=-82.1628&mi=10
- Aircraft: N27CU, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N27CU) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Alexander Schleicher ASW 27-18 (registry code 3801538, https://openairdocs.org/model/alexander-schleicher-asw-27-18) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ALEXANDER SCHLEICHER GMBH & CO ASW 27-18
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA26LA199](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA199) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260420006739A

## Narrative

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

THE GLIDER PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS PARTICIPATING IN A RACING COMPETITION. HE WAS ABLE TO FIND THERMALS UP TO 7,000 FT MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL) AND LATER COULD NOT CLIMB HIGHER THAN 4,500 FT MSL. AT THAT TIME, THE GLIDER WAS ABOUT 20 MILES FROM HIS INTENDED DESTINATION, WHICH THE PILOT THOUGHT HE COULD REACH; HOWEVER, THE GLIDER SUBSEQUENTLY ENCOUNTERED A STRONG SINK, AND HE COULD NOT FIND ANY MORE THERMALS. UNABLE TO GLIDE TO AN AIRPORT, HE ATTEMPTED A FORCED LANDING TO A FIELD. DURING THE FORCED LANDING, THE LEFT WING CONTACTED A SWALE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD. THE GLIDER SPUN, THE TAIL BOOM ALSO CONTACTED THE SWALE AND SEPARATED, AND THE GLIDER CAME TO REST UPRIGHT. THE PILOT ALSO REPORTED THAT THERE WERE NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE GLIDER THAT WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED NORMAL OPERATION

## 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 ERA26LA199](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA199), Apr 20, 2026: Alexander Schleicher ASW 27-18 (N27CU), Greenwood, SC, substantial damage. Probable cause: The glider pilot’s encounter with a strong sink/loss of lift, which resulted in a forced landing to unsuitable terrain.

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.

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