- Date
- March 11, 2017, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bangor, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N17933Schweizer SGS126
- Defining event
- Enroute: Loss of lift
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 7, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170311006739A
- Case key
- 94893
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, which resulted in an off-airport landing.
Findings · 3
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 pilot reported that, while returning to his home airport, he was unable to find enough lift and did not have enough altitude to cross a section of land called "The Gap." After he altered course to land at an alternate airport, he attempted to ridge soar but again did not encounter enough lift. He "hugged the ridge top" for as long as he could and then proceeded down a valley in anticipation of landing in a field. Subsequently, the glider collided with trees preceding the field and came to rest suspended in the trees. The glider sustained substantial damage to both wings and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The glider pilot reported that while returning to his home airport, he was unable to find enough lift, and did not have enough altitude to cross a section of land called "The Gap". After he altered course to land at an alternate airport he attempted to ridge soar, but was again unable to encounter enough lift. He "hugged the ridge top" for as long as he could and then proceeded down a valley in anticipation of landing in a field. Subsequently, the glider collided with trees prior to the field and came to rest suspended in the trees. The glider sustained substantial damage to both wings and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N17933
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS126 (E)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 563
- Built
- 1973
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 1N7 · Blairstown, NJ
- Destination
- 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
- 45
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Last flight review
- August 28, 2016
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 90 total · 38 in this make and model · 60 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 12 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,100 ft broken
- Temperature
- 18 °F, dew point 7 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KMPO, 14 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 4, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 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.