- Date
- July 4, 2022, 15:50 local (19:50 UTC)
- Place
- Windsor, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N249AFSchweizer SGS 1-26D
- Defining event
- Enroute: 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
- 20220704011709A
- Case key
- 105685
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 glider’s encounter with atmospheric conditions, where lift was not sufficient to maintain flight.
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 pilot stated that after departing for local area soaring, he found himself in “dying lift”. He attempted to recover altitude but was unsuccessful. He said that the glider encountered additional “sink” and did not have sufficient altitude to reach the airport. During the forced landing on rough terrain the left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N249AF
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS 1-26D
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 421
- Built
- 1968
- Airframe hours
- 1,553.05
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 6, 2022
- Departed
- 3VA8 · Garner Airport, VA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 3VA8 · Garner Airport, runway 02/20, 2,600 × 75 ft, grass/turf
- 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 78
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Last flight review
- September 4, 2021
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 368 total · 116 in this make and model · 276 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- KAKQ, 22 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KAKQ 041954Z AUTO VRB03KT 10SM SCT070 SCT085 27/12 A2990 RMK AO2 SLP126 T02670122
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 24, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 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.
Other investigations on N249AF · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.