Alexander Schleicher Gmbh & ASW 27-18 N27CU

Summary

On 20 April 2026 at about 18:30 local time, a Alexander Schleicher Gmbh & ASW 27-18 registered N27CU was involved in an accident near Greenwood, South Carolina, 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

20 April 2026 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Greenwood, South Carolina, United States

Coordinates

34.1308, -82.1628

Aircraft

Alexander Schleicher Gmbh & ASW 27-18

Registration

N27CU

Category

Glider

Year built

2010

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Perry → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA26LA199

Nobody was injured.

The glider pilot’s encounter with a strong sink/loss of lift, which resulted in a forced landing to unsuitable terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The glider pilot reported that he was participating in a racing competition. He was able to find thermals up to 7,000 ft mean sea level (msl) and later could not climb higher than 4,500 ft msl. At that time, the glider was about 20 miles from his intended destination, which the pilot thought he could reach; however, the glider subsequently encountered a strong sink, and he could not find any more thermals. Unable to glide to an airport, he attempted a forced landing to a field. During the forced landing, the left wing contacted a swale in the middle of the field. The glider spun, the tailboom also contacted the swale and separated, and the glider came to rest upright. The pilot also reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.