20180513007149A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Schweizer SGS 1-23H-15 · Turnbridge, VT · May 13, 2018

Date: May 13, 2018 · 15:36 local
Place: Turnbridge, VT
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N9915J
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA18CA283
Reported as: Schweizer SGS 1-23H-15
Reported engine: NONE NONE
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 114 total38 in this make and model

N9915JRegistration cancelled Oct 3, 2020 · Schweizer SGS 1-23H-15S/N 71 · Built 1966 Airframe modelSchweizer SGS 1-23H-15 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.

Student glider pilot departed the post mills airport (2B9) for a glider flight. As he was returning back to post mills airport in the area of tunbridge, VT (west of post mills) student pilot was unable to find enough lift to cross a section of forest between his location and the destination airport (post mills). Conserving his altitude he selected a field and entered a landing pattern, needing to make a left turn towards (final) the selected landing site he realized that he would not clear a row of trees, the student pilot elected to continue straight ahead and he landed in a much smaller clearing, causing substantial damage to the glider.

As the FAA filed it

STUDENT GLIDER PILOT DEPARTED THE POST MILLS AIRPORT (2B9) FOR A GLIDER FLIGHT. AS HE WAS RETURNING BACK TO POST MILLS AIRPORT IN THE AREA OF TUNBRIDGE, VT (WEST OF POST MILLS) STUDENT PILOT WAS UNABLE TO FIND ENOUGH LIFT TO CROSS A SECTION OF FOREST BETWEEN HIS LOCATION AND THE DESTINATION AIRPORT (POST MILLS). CONSERVING HIS ALTITUDE HE SELECTED A FIELD AND ENTERED A LANDING PATTERN, NEEDING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN TOWARDS (FINAL) THE SELECTED LANDING SITE HE REALIZED THAT HE WOULD NOT CLEAR A ROW OF TREES, THE STUDENT PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE STRAIGHT AHEAD AND HE LANDED IN A MUCH SMALLER CLEARING, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE GLIDER.

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 GAA18CA283Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportTunbridge, VTThe student glider’s inability to maintain altitude due to a loss of thermal lift, which resulted in an off-airport landing.May 13, 2018 · Substantial damage