- Date
- June 17, 2021, 11:35 local (15:35 UTC)
- Place
- Willimantic, CT · 1,556 ft Fm Displaced Threshold Runway 36
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2517HSchweizer SGS 1-26E
- Defining event
- Approach: Loss of lift
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210617007949A
- Case key
- 103378
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 failure of the student to achieve the proper touchdown point resulting in landing undershoot.
Findings · 4
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 was towed aloft and released at 3,000 ft above ground level (agl) two miles south of the airport. After practicing air-work south of the airport with no thermal activity, the flight encountered 2 episodes of significant sink (-1,000 ft/min). With a wind from the northwest at 8 knots, he proceeded for a straight-in approach to runway 36 (nearest runway). When the glider was on a 1-mile final for the runway, a 3rd episode of severe sink was encountered. Realizing he would be unable to reach the runway, the pilot executed a low-energy touchdown on the shoulder of a road about 800 ft from the runway threshold. Postaccident examination of the glider and the submitted NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident report confirmed substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot recommended performing airwork upwind of the airport.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2517H
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS 1-26E (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 647
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 2,300
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Connecticut Soaring Association
- Registered owner
- Connecticut Soaring Association
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2020
- Airport
- IJD · Windham Airport
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
- 66
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 57 total · 8 in this make and model · 26 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 6 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KIJD
- METAR
- KIJD 171552Z AUTO 31006G16KT 10SM CLR 22/03 A2996 RMK AO2 SLP144 T02170033
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 4, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.4 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.