OpenAirDocs.org

20260523008239A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Pzl-Swidnik PW-5 · Ephrata, WA · May 23, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
May 23, 2026 · 16:25 local
Place
Ephrata, WA
Airport
Ephrata Municipal
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N157AJ
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR26LA203
Reported as
Pzl-Swidnik PW-5
Reported engine
NONE NONE
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
48 total18 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days
N157AJRegistered now · Pzl-Swidnik PW-5S/N 17.10.018 · Built 1998Airframe modelPzl-Swidnik PW-5Engine modelNONENone

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Airman pablo a. aguilar vergara acted as pilot in command (PIC) of aircraft privacy data omitted near Ephrata Municipal Airport (keph), Ephrata, Washington, on may 23, 2026, at approximately 1625 PDT.

According to the pic's written statement and a follow-up telephone interview conducted on July 23, 2026, pablo and two other pilots from the puget sound soaring association (pssa) assembled the aircraft by installing the wings and completed a preflight inspection. During the inspection, they did not detect that the right-wing locking pin was only partially inserted and was not fully engaged.

The aircraft was aerotowed to approximately 4,200 feet MSL, where the tow rope was released. While circling and climbing to approximately 5,000 feet MSL, the PIC heard a sharp cracking sound. The PIC subsequently conducted a normal landing at keph without further incident.

Following landing, the PIC performed a visual inspection of the aircraft and observed a puncture in the fuselage and delamination damage to the right-wing spar root box.

As the FAA filed it

AIRMAN PABLO A. AGUILAR VERGARA ACTED AS PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) OF AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ NEAR EPHRATA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KEPH), EPHRATA, WASHINGTON, ON MAY 23, 2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 1625 PDT.

ACCORDING TO THE PIC'S WRITTEN STATEMENT AND A FOLLOW-UP TELEPHONE INTERVIEW CONDUCTED ON JULY 23, 2026, PABLO AND TWO OTHER PILOTS FROM THE PUGET SOUND SOARING ASSOCIATION (PSSA) ASSEMBLED THE AIRCRAFT BY INSTALLING THE WINGS AND COMPLETED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION. DURING THE INSPECTION, THEY DID NOT DETECT THAT THE RIGHT-WING LOCKING PIN WAS ONLY PARTIALLY INSERTED AND WAS NOT FULLY ENGAGED.

THE AIRCRAFT WAS AEROTOWED TO APPROXIMATELY 4,200 FEET MSL, WHERE THE TOW ROPE WAS RELEASED. WHILE CIRCLING AND CLIMBING TO APPROXIMATELY 5,000 FEET MSL, THE PIC HEARD A SHARP CRACKING SOUND. THE PIC SUBSEQUENTLY CONDUCTED A NORMAL LANDING AT KEPH WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

FOLLOWING LANDING, THE PIC PERFORMED A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND OBSERVED A PUNCTURE IN THE FUSELAGE AND DELAMINATION DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT-WING SPAR ROOT BOX.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR26LA203Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportSoap Lake, WAThe pilot’s failure to ensure the proper preflight assembly of the glider's wing attachment system, which resulted in substantial damage to the wing structure during flight.May 23, 2026 · Substantial damage