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20070515015249I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Scwzer SGS 2-33A · Endicott, NY · May 15, 2007

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 15, 2007 · 12:29 local
Place
Endicott, NY
Airport
Tri-Cities
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N17960
Reported as
Scwzer SGS233A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,700 total350 in this make and model2 in the last 90 days
N17960Registered now · Schweizer SGS 2-33AS/N 260 · Built 1972Airframe modelSchweizer SGS 2-33AEngine modelNONENone

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On Tuesday, 5/16/2007 at approximately 1229 local time, the pilot privacy data omitted flying N17960, a Schweizer model SGS-2-33A glider, landed on the susquehanna river next to the Tri-Cities Airport. Shortly after take off, while being towed by a Bellanca N8579 model 7GCBC, the pilot of the Bellanca experienced a problem with gaining altitude. The pilot of the Bellanca attempted to release the glider shortly after take off. After believing he had released the glider, the pilot turned left over the river, part way down the river, the pilot felt the glider was still attached. He then released the glider over the river and the glider landed in the river and came to a rest along the shoreline bank. The glider was submerged with just the top of the wings, tail and canopy above water. A visual look at the aircraft while in the water indicated the dive brakes were extended. Both the pilot and one passenger had no injuries. Weather was VFR. The pilot privacy data omitted said that he accidentally took off with the dive brakes extended. On 5/22/07, FAA inspectors examined the glider and found only minor tearing of fabric. The glider will be repaired and returned to service privacy data omitted

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON TUESDAY, 5/16/2007 AT APPROXIMATELY 1229 LOCAL TIME, THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FLYING N17960, A SCHWEIZER MODEL SGS-2-33A GLIDER, LANDED ON THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER NEXT TO THE TRI-CITIES AIRPORT. SHORTLY AFTER TAKE OFF, WHILE BEING TOWED BY A BELLANCA N8579 MODEL 7GCBC, THE PILOT OF THE BELLANCA EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH GAINING ALTITUDE. THE PILOT OF THE BELLANCA ATTEMPTED TO RELEASE THE GLIDER SHORTLY AFTER TAKE OFF. AFTER BELIEVING HE HAD RELEASED THE GLIDER, THE PILOT TURNED LEFT OVER THE RIVER, PART WAY DOWN THE RIVER, THE PILOT FELT THE GLIDER WAS STILL ATTACHED. HE THEN RELEASED THE GLIDER OVER THE RIVER AND THE GLIDER LANDED IN THE RIVER AND CAME TO A REST ALONG THE SHORELINE BANK. THE GLIDER WAS SUBMERGED WITH JUST THE TOP OF THE WINGS, TAIL AND CANOPY ABOVE WATER. A VISUAL LOOK AT THE AIRCRAFT WHILE IN THE WATER INDICATED THE DIVE BRAKES WERE EXTENDED. BOTH THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER HAD NO INJURIES. WEATHER WAS VFR. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID THAT HE ACCIDENTALLY TOOK OFF WITH THE DIVE BRAKES EXTENDED. ON 5/22/07, FAA INSPECTORS EXAMINED THE GLIDER AND FOUND ONLY MINOR TEARING OF FABRIC. THE GLIDER WILL BE REPAIRED AND RETURNED TO SERVICE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^