- Date
- July 10, 2010, 15:25 local (19:25 UTC)
- Place
- Waynesville, OH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2429WSchweizer SGS 1-26B
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Loss of lift
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20100710038489A
- Case key
- 76593
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 student pilot's delayed decision that resulted in insufficent altitude to return to the departure airport.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The student glider pilot was towed to an altitude of 3,000 feet above ground level and 2 miles from the departure airport, before releasing for a training flight in the local area. Unable to locate sustained lift, the student pilot returned to the airport for landing. The student pilot "thought that [she] had sufficient altitude to safely return to [departure airport]"; however, the glider contacted trees and terrain near the airport. Examination of the glider revealed both composite wings and the fuselage were substantially damaged. The student pilot stated there were no anomalies with the glider prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The student glider pilot was towed to an altitude of 3,000 feet above ground level and 2 miles from the departure airport, before releasing for a training flight in the local area. Unable to locate sustained lift, the student pilot returned to the airport for landing. The student pilot "thought that [she] had sufficient altitude to safely return to [departure airport]"; however, the glider contacted trees and terrain near the airport. Examination of the glider revealed both composite wings and the fuselage were substantially damaged. The student pilot stated there were no anomalies with the glider prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2429W
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS 1-26B
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 361
- Airframe hours
- 1,620
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2010
- Departed
- Waynesville, OH
- Destination
- Waynesville, OH
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 17
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 27 total · 2 in this make and model · 6 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 22, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 607 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.