- Date
- August 15, 2021, 18:41 local (22:41 UTC)
- Place
- North Springfield, VT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2805HSchweizer SGS 2-33A
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Glider tow event
- 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
- 20210815017299A
- Case key
- 103723
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 check pilot's failure to account for the extended departure distance from the airport during a simulated tow rope break and recovery.
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
Two glider pilots were conducting a simulated rope break from 200ft above ground level (AGL). The glider pilot had requested the tow pilot sidestep right on upwind further than normal to allow for enough distance between the upwind leg and the runway. After a normal takeoff, the tow pilot sidestepped further right than the previous flights. After the tow rope was released, the glider pilot made a steep turn back toward the runway and realized that the runway was beyond glide distance. The pilot elected to land the glider in a clear area beside a dirt road, but during the landing, the left wing impacted a tree, resulting in substantial damage to the wing. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2805H
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS 2-33A
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 515
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 6,090
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Civil Air Patrol
- Registered owner
- Civil Air Patrol
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 12, 2021
- Airport
- VSF · Hartness State (Springfield)
- Equipment
- None
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 66
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 30, 2021
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 530 total · 76 in this make and model · 402 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 30, 2020
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 4,600 total · 33 in this make and model · 2,493 as pilot in command · 271 in the last 90 days · 93 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- VSF, 1 nm away
- METAR
- KVSF 152254Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 20/08 A3021 RMK AO2 SLP229 T02000083
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 4, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 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.