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CHI02LA266

2002-08-27 · Ionia, Michigan, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport Y70

Current FAA registration · N126CR

Make / Model
SCHWEIZER SGS 1-26E
Engine
NONE NONE
Seats / Engines
1 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19760503
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A06A3E

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the runway end identifier light (REIL). A factor to the accident was the REIL.

Factual narrative

On August 27, 2002, at 1505 eastern daylight time, a Schweizer SGS-126E glider, N126CR, sustained substantial damage when it impacted a runway edge identifier light (REIL) while landing on a grass easement adjacent to runway 27 at the Ionia County Airport (Y70), Ionia, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. The local flight departed Y70 at an unconfirmed time and was landing at the time of the accident. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the pilot reported that during the landing roll the left wing impacted a REIL light, resulting in substantial damage to the glider. The pilot did not include a written statement in his NTSB 6120.1/2 accident report. The glider impacted a runway edge identifier light (REIL) while landing on a grass easement adjacent to the runway. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2002_CHI02LA266.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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