# Accident 19900814032989A: Scwzer SGS135, Erwinna, PA, August 14, 1990

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 14, 1990, 13:03 local time
- Place: Erwinna, PA
- Airport: Vansant Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.4894° N, 75.0794° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.4894&lon=-75.0794&mi=10
- Aircraft: N34461, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N34461-2012-09-12) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Schweizer SGS 1-35 (registry code 8050148, https://openairdocs.org/model/schweizer-sgs-1-35) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: SCWZER SGS135
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 439 total, 350 in this make and model, 17 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC90LA193](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC90LA193) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19900814032989A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

TOO MUCH SLACK IN TOW ROPE ON INITIAL TAKEOFF UNHOOKED ROPE. GLIDER STRUCK A BERM ON LANDING OFF AIRPORT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC90LA193](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC90LA193), Aug 14, 1990: Schweizer SGS 1-35 (N34461), Erwinna, PA, destroyed. Probable cause: INADVERTENT RELEASE OF THE TOW LINE AT LOW ALTITUDE. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE LANDING IN UNSUITABLE TERRAIN.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.