- Date
- September 3, 2022, 16:23 local (20:23 UTC)
- Place
- Mount Bethel, PA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N17867Schweizer SGS 2-33A
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: 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
- Case key
- 105904
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 the lift was not sufficient to maintain flight resulting in an off-airport landing and collision with powerlines.
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 glider took off under aerotow about for a flight in the local soaring area. After flying about 45 minutes the pilot decided to reposition to a different ridge but during his transition, he encountered a loss of lift and started to lose altitude. Unable to gain sufficient lift, he was forced to make an off-airport landing. During his approach, he noticed another glider in the field and there were midfield powerlines. The pilot passed over the glider on the ground but impacted the powerlines. The impact with the powerlines and subsequent collision with terrain resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The pilot reported that there were no pre accident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N17867
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS 2-33A
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 280
- Built
- 1973
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Aero Club Albatross
- Registered owner
- Aero Club Albatross
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 5, 2022
- Departed
- 1N7 · Blairstown, NJ
- 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
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 23, 2020
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 2,002 total · 82 in this make and model · 1,969 as pilot in command · 96 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- MPO, 16 nm away
- METAR
- KMPO 031953Z AUTO 20007KT 10SM FEW028 BKN035 23/17 A3026 RMK AO2 SLP238 T02280167
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 27, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.7 MB in all.