- Date
- August 21, 2026, 16:07 local (20:07 UTC)
- Place
- Xenia, OH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N304BSHPH Glasflugel 304CZ
- Defining event
- Enroute: Loss of lift
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 1, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260821011809A
- Case key
- 203645
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The glider’s encounter with atmospheric conditions where lift was not sufficient to maintain flight.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the glider was on a local flight and reported that the thermal lift began to dissipate. Upon reaching about 1,000 ft above ground level, he found a field for an off-airport landing. During the subsequent landing, the glider’s left wing struck an undulation in the terrain, which resulted in the right wing lifting and the nose of the glider impacting the ground. The glider’s empennage separated from the fuselage and was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N304BS
- Reported as
- HPH Glasflugel 304CZ
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 27
- Built
- 2000
- Airframe hours
- 784
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 19, 2026
- Departed
- 2OH9 · Waynesville, OH
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, ADS-B
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 14, 2026
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,367 total · 78 in this make and model · 1,222 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- MGY, 14 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KMGY 211953Z AUTO 09005KT 10SM CLR 28/19 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP160 T02830194
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 1, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.