Schweizer SGS 2-33A N65818

Summary

On 6 August 2025 at about 19:57 local time, a Schweizer SGS 2-33A registered N65818 was involved in an accident near Monee, Illinois, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 August 2025 at 19:57

Classification

Accident

Location

Monee, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Bult Fld (C56)

Coordinates

41.3774, -87.6900

Aircraft

Schweizer SGS 2-33A

Registration

N65818

Category

Glider

Year built

1973

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN25LA311

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed and altitude resulting in a collision with the ground during the base to final turn.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The solo student pilot reported she was on downwind to land and noted she was a bit lower than usual so she turned base early to compensate. While on the base leg her recollection of events wasn’t clear. She remembered feeling task saturated and that she may not have maintained her altitude and airspeed resulting in the glider impacting the ground during the base to final turn. The glider came to rest upright on a flat grass field and the pilot was able to egress without further incident. The fuselage and right wing were substantially damaged. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions of failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot further reported that the accident could have been prevented by paying closer attention to the glider’s altitude and airspeed while in the traffic pattern.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.