# NTSB ERA25LA181: Schleicher ASW-19, N37PL, Zephyrhills, FL, April 2, 2025 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: April 2, 2025, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC) - Place: Zephyrhills, FL - Coordinates: 28.256462, -82.149878 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.2565&lon=-82.1499&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Maneuvering: Loss of lift](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/500) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 200043 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA25LA181 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200043/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200043 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA181 ## 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 fence. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Temp/humidity/pressure: thermal lifting](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031040): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on operation (probable cause); cases with it: [Schleicher ASW-19, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031040/cases.md?model=3801508), [All aircraft, 53 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031040/cases.md) - [Info processing/decision: decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Schleicher ASW-19, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md?model=3801508), [All aircraft, 3,098 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Maneuvering: Loss of lift](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/500) (defining event); cases with it: [Schleicher ASW-19, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/500/sequence.md?model=3801508), [All aircraft, 252 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/500/sequence.md) - [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Schleicher ASW-19, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=3801508), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot of the glider took off under aerotow for a flight in the local soaring area. The pilot released from the tow airplane at an altitude of 2,500 ft and 3 miles downwind of the airport. While soaring, the pilot found a thermal and regained some lost altitude to 2,300 feet msl. The pilot then reported making several 360° turns in the thermal to gain additional altitude, but he then noticed that he was now 8 miles from the airport and decided to turn back toward the airport. While soaring back to the airport, the pilot was unable to find any thermals to regain altitude. When the pilot was 3 miles from the airport at an altitude of 1,000 ft, he determined he did not have sufficient altitude to make it back to the airport and began to look for an off-airport landing area. The pilot found a pasture that he believed would be a suitable landing site. During the approach, the pilot noticed there was a wire fence across the pasture. As he approached the fence during landing, he retracted the spoilers and pitched the nose up in an attempt to clear the fence. Subsequently, the stall warning activated, and the glider impacted a fence pole which resulted in substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation. He further stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had requested that he be towed and released upwind of the airport. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N37PL](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N37PL), registered now, S/N 19190, built 1978 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: SCHLEICHER ASW-19 - Registry model: [Schleicher ASW-19](https://openairdocs.org/model/schleicher-asw-19) (registry code 3801508) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG](https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (registry code 99999) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Glider - Serial number: 19190 - Year built: 1978 - Airframe hours: 1775.6 - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Tampa Bay Soaring Society Inc - Registered owner: Tampa Bay Soaring Society Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 8, 2024 - Departed: ZPH, Zephyerhills, FL - Airport: ZPH, Zephyrhills Muni - Equipment: Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 76; injuries: serious; private, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review February 11, 2025; seat: center; flight hours: 379 total, 1.7 in this make and model, 107 as pilot in command, 1 in the last 90 days, 0.7 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 140° at 14 knots, gusting 19 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 5,000 ft broken - Temperature: 91 °F, dew point 64 °F - Altimeter: 30.10 inHg - Observed at: KZPH, 2 nm away - METAR: METAR KZPH 021835Z AUTO 14014G19KT 10SM BKN050 33/18 A3010 RMK A02 T03300185= ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20250402008869A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250402008869A), Apr 2, 2025: Schleicher ASW-19, Zephyrhills, FL, Substantial damage. [privacy data omitted], A Schleicher glider, departed from Zephyrhills airport and traveled a distance of 8 miles from the airport. During the return flight,… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 5, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200043. 1.2 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 8 pages, 915 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18919656&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ERA25LA181%206120%20Combined_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot statement (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 78 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18919216&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilot%20Statement-Rel.pdf - Investigation photographs (item 3, PDF, 6 pages, 184 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18919743&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Investigation%20Photos-Rel.pdf 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. --- 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.