- Date
- August 4, 2022, 15:57 local (19:57 UTC)
- Place
- Shirley, NY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2055TSchweizer SGS 2-33A
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- 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
- 20220804014069A
- Case key
- 105728
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 flight instructor’s failure to ensure clearance from an electrical junction box during takeoff, which resulted in a collision.
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 flight instructor of the glider reported that the takeoff for the instruction flight was along a grass area adjacent to a paved runway. The takeoff began with the right wing down to practice a standard unassisted takeoff. As the takeoff roll began, the right wing rose, and the glider entered ground effect. Several seconds later, the flight instructor heard a “boom” as the glider bounced up. He then released the tow rope and landed straight down the grass runway uneventfully. The flight instructor exited the glider and noted damage to the right wing as a result of a collision with an electrical junction box for the runway’s precision approach path indicator. He added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the glider. Postaccident examination of the glider by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector confirmed substantial damage to the glider’s right aileron.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2055T
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS 2-33A
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 495
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 3,163.4
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Long Island Soaring Association Inc
- Registered owner
- Long Island Soaring Association Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 16, 2021
- Departed
- HWV · Shirley, NY
- Airport
- HWV · Brookhaven, runway 15, 4,222 × 150 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Private, Commercial
- Last flight review
- December 12, 2020
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 209 total · 177 in this make and model · 153 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 9, 1994
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 329 total · 3 in this make and model · 231 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KHWV
- METAR
- KHWV 041956Z AUTO 17011KT 10SM CLR 31/20 A3004
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 27, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.5 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 N2055T · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.