- Date
- April 19, 2025, 11:37 local (18:37 UTC)
- Place
- Hood River, OR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5786SSchweizer SGS 2-33A
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of lift
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20250419003359A
- Case key
- 200048
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 the 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 flight instructor reported that while turning final, the glider encountered a loss of lift and there was not sufficient altitude to reach the airport. The instructor chose to land in an orchard, and during the landing roll, the glider struck several small trees, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and left horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5786S
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS 2-33A
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 115
- Built
- 1968
- Airframe hours
- 2,841
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 24, 2024
- Departed
- 4S2 · Hood River, OR
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 4S2 · Ken Jernstedt Airfield, runway 07/25, 3,040 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Last flight review
- October 16, 2024
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 372.2 total · 16.9 in this make and model · 357.9 as pilot in command · 78.7 in the last 90 days · 33.3 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 4 total · 4 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Turbulence
- Extreme
- Observed at
- K4S2, 1 nm away
- METAR
- K4S2 191835Z AUTO 31012G20KT 260V320 10SM CLR 15/02 A3013 RMK AO2
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 3, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 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.
Other investigations on N5786S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.