- Date
- September 2, 2013, 16:25 local (21:25 UTC)
- Place
- Hampshire, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2668HSchweizer SGS 2 33A
- Defining event
- Approach: Loss of lift
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 3, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA DuPage FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130902021899A
- Case key
- 88364
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 inadequate compensation for landing area conditions during an off-airport landing which resulted in a collision with an obstruction.
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 pilot reported his glider was about one mile from his destination airport and thought he had enough altitude to make the field, but then he encountered a sink rate. He realized that he would not be able to clear power lines at the edge of the runway so the student pilot decided to make an off field landing in a large open field bordered by several obstructions. During the landing the right wing struck a small tree when the glider was still several feet above ground. The glider landed abruptly and the impact resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. The student pilot added that the accident could have been prevented if he had earlier recognized the need to land out and if he had prepared for the event at a higher altitude.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported his glider was about one mile from his destination airport and thought he had enough altitude to make the field, but then he encountered a sink rate. He realized that he would not be able to clear power lines at the edge of the runway so the student pilot decided to make an off field landing in a large open field bordered by several obstructions. During the landing the right wing struck a small tree when the glider was still several feet above ground. The glider landed abruptly and the impact resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. The student pilot added that the accident could have been prevented if he had earlier recognized the need to land out and if he had prepared for the event at a higher altitude.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2668H
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS 2 33A (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 438
- Built
- 1976
- Engine
- none
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2013
- Departed
- 55LL · Hampshire, IL
- Destination
- 55LL · Hampshire, IL
- Airport
- 55LL · Sky Soaring, runway 27, 3,000 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Last flight review
- August 3, 2013
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 8 total · 7 in this make and model · 2 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KDKB, 15 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 18, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB 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.