- Date
- May 20, 2017, 15:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Springfield, VT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1242SSchweizer SGS233
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing area undershoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170520012409A
- Case key
- 95221
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 student pilot’s failure to maintain an adequate glidepath and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action, which resulted in the glider landing short of the runway in trees.
Findings · 4
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 reported that, during the turn to final approach, the glider appeared to be above glidepath, so the student pilot used dive brakes to descend. He added that, once the glider returned to a normal glidepath, the student retracted the dive brakes, but the glider continued in a "higher than normal" descent rate. The flight instructor took control of the glider and landed short of the intended runway in trees. The glider sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation. The student pilot failed to submit a written statement after multiple requests.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that, during the turn to final approach, the glider appeared to be above glidepath, so the student pilot used dive brakes to descend. He added that once the glider returned to a normal glidepath the student retracted the dive brakes, but the glider continued in a "higher than normal" descent rate. The flight instructor took control of the glider and landed short of the intended runway in trees. The glider sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation. The student pilot failed to submit a written statement after multiple requests.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1242S
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS233 (A)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 224
- Built
- 1971
- Airframe hours
- 2,557
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 19, 2017
- Departed
- VSF · Springfield, VT
- Destination
- VSF · Springfield, VT
- Airport
- VSF · Hartness State (Springfield), runway 05, 5,501 × 100 ft, asphalt
- 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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 2, 2017
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 22,500 total · 50 in this make and model · 10,500 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 15
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- Front
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.28 inHg
- Observed at
- KVSF
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 10, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.8 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.