- Date
- July 1, 2007, 12:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Freehold, NY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N42CASchempp-Hirth Discus-CS
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Albany FSDO-01
- FAA report
- 20070701010009A
- Case key
- 66102
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadvertent activation of the tow release handle at a low altitude following an encounter with turbulence.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated that the takeoff was normal. His glider and the tow plane were on the initial climb out. During the climb they began to encounter heavy turbulence. At 200 feet AGL he continued to encounter heavy turbulence and bumped his head twice against the canopy. He inadvertently hit the release cable handle at a low altitude, and disconnected from the tow plane. He attempted to return to the airport and collided with trees after losing lift. The pilot did not report any flight control anomalies with the glider.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that the take-off was normal his glider and the tow plane were on the initial climb out. During the climb they began to encounter heavy turbulence. At 200 feet AGL he continued to encounter heavy turbulence and bumped his head twice against the canopy. He inadvertently hit the release cable handle at a low altitude, and disconnected from the tow plane. He attempted to return to the airport and collided with trees after losing lift. The pilot did not report any flight control anomalies with the glider.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N42CA
- Reported as
- Schempp-Hirth Discus-CS
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 239CS
- Airframe hours
- 409
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Glider tow · Part 91
- Operator
- Paul F. Quinn
- Registered owner
- Paul F. Quinn
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2007 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- 1I5 · Freehold, NY
- Destination
- 1I5 · Freehold, NY
- Airport
- NY21 · Freehold, runway 30, 2,275 × 22 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Last flight review
- October 1, 2006
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 104 total · 18 in this make and model · 50 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 10 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KALB, 30 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.