# Accident 20180829012479A: Schweizer SGS 2-32, Morrisville, VT, August 29, 2018

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 29, 2018, 11:30 local time
- Place: Morrisville, VT
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Other, Specify
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 44.5928° N, 72.7458° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.5928&lon=-72.7458&mi=10
- Aircraft: N17970, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N17970) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Schweizer SGS 2-32 (registry code 8050206, https://openairdocs.org/model/schweizer-sgs-2-32) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: SCHWEIZER SGS 2-32
- Reported engine: NONE NONE
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 3
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 3,103 total, 406 in this make and model, 128 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA18FA238](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18FA238) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180829012479A

## Narrative

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

WE ARRIVED ON SCENE AT THE ACCIDENT SIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 1230 HOURS. THE ACCIDENT WAS LOCATED AT GPS COORDINATES: LATITUDE: 44:34.94N, LONGITUDE: 072:44.45W. I PROCEEDED TO TAKE PICTURES FROM ALL ANGLES. I ALSO ASSISTED THE NTSB WITH FLIGHT CONTROL CHECKS AND AREA SEARCH TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED.

THE WEATHER ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT WAS GUSTY WINDS AND PARTIALLY SUNNY.

THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND IN A NEAR VERTICAL POSITION. THE COCKPIT NOSE HAD BEEN CRUSHED AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL HAD BEEN PULLED OUT OF THE COCKPIT AREA. THIS AND THE SEATS THAT WERE REMOVED WERE PERFORMED THE DAY BEFORE BY THE RECOVERY TEAM TO ASSIST IN REMAINS REMOVAL. THE CANOPY FRAME WAS CLOSED AND LATCHED, BUT THE PLEXIGLAS FROM THE CANOPY WAS BROKEN OUT OF THE FRAME AND STREWN ON THE GROUND. THE RIGHT WING SHOWED ABOUT A 2? SEPARATION IN THE REAR PART FROM THE FUSELAGE ? RESULTS OF THE NOSE IMPACTING THE GROUND WITH THE WING STILL ?FLYING?. THE AILERON WAS JAMMED DUE TO WING "OIL CANNING", BUT MOVEMENT OF THE CONTROL RODS INDICATED THAT THE AILERON WAS STILL ATTACHED. THE LEFT WING OUTBOARD SECTION THAT CONTAINS THE AILERON WAS BROKEN OFF THE REMAINING WING AND ROTATED 180 DEGREES (AILERON FACING FORWARD). THE AILERON CONTROL ROD WAS STILL ATTACHED AND OPERATIONAL. THE LEADING EDGE SUSTAINED AN IMPACT THAT WAS SEMICIRCULAR WITH RIPPED METAL. THE IMPACT DAMAGE PROGRESSED INTO THE FORWARD SPAR APPROXIMATELY 6? AND WAS APPROXIMATELY 6? ACROSS. THE FUSELAGE ON THE UPPER SIDE SHOWED "OIL CANNING" DUE TO THE IMPACT. THE CONTROL CABLES FOR THE ELEVATORS, ELEVATOR TRIM TABS, RUDDER, AND SPEED BRAKES WERE STILL ATTACHED AND OPERATIONAL. THE SPEED BRAKES WERE JAMMED IN THE CLOSED POSITION. THE REAR CONTROL STICK WAS FOUND STOWED UNDER THE PILOT SEAT (WHERE YOU WOULD EXPECT TO FIND IT WITH TWO PASSENGERS OCCUPYING THE REAR SEAT). THE DAMAGE TO THE SURROUNDING TREES INDICATE THE GLIDER CAME DOWN IN A NEAR VERTICAL POSITION.

THE POST ACCIDENT MEDICAL CASE REVIEW INDICATES THE PILOT HAD A SIGNIFICANT MEDICAL CONDITION THAT COULD POSE A HAZARD TO FLIGHT SAFETY.

THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT ABLE TO BE LOCATED. BASED ON THE GIVEN WEIGHTS OF THE TWO PASSENGERS (WEIGHTS GIVEN BY RELATIVES DURING LAW ENFORMENT INTERVIEW) THE GLIDER APPEARS TO EXCEDED ITS CENTER OF GRAVITY AND GROSS AIRCRAFT WEIGHT.

## 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 ERA18FA238](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18FA238), Aug 29, 2018: Schweizer SGS 2 32 (N17970), Morrisville, VT, substantial damage, 3 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's exceedance of the glider's critical angle of attack while maneuvering, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's…

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.

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