20170520012409A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Schweizer SGS 2-33A · North Springfie, VT · May 20, 2017

Date: May 20, 2017 · 15:00 local
Place: North Springfie, VT
Airport: Hartness State (Springfield)
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N1242S
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA17CA298
Reported as: Schweizer SGS 2-33A
Reported engine: NONE NONE
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 23,400 total45 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

N1242SRegistered now · Schweizer SGS 2-33AS/N 224 · Built 1971 Airframe modelSchweizer SGS 2-33A Engine 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.

The pilot stated that he was conducting a proficiency ride for a student of the new england soaring club. The student flew a normal pattern. Turning final, the student used dive brakes to descend to a normal glidepath. The aircraft continued to descend at a higher than normal sink rate, even with dive brakes closed. The pilot stated he took control of the aircraft and landed approximately 114 yards short of the runway. The aircraft impacted trees causing substantial damage to the fuselage just aft the wing trailing edge.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS CONDUCTING A PROFICIENCY RIDE FOR A STUDENT OF THE NEW ENGLAND SOARING CLUB. THE STUDENT FLEW A NORMAL PATTERN. TURNING FINAL, THE STUDENT USED DIVE BRAKES TO DESCEND TO A NORMAL GLIDEPATH. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO DESCEND AT A HIGHER THAN NORMAL SINK RATE, EVEN WITH DIVE BRAKES CLOSED. THE PILOT STATED HE TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND LANDED APPROXIMATELY 114 YARDS SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TREES CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE JUST AFT THE WING TRAILING EDGE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB GAA17CA298Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportSpringfield, VTThe student pilot’s failure to maintain an adequate glidepath and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action, which resulted in the glider landing short of the runway in trees.May 20, 2017 · Substantial damage