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.