# NTSB IAD02LA042: WSK PZL PW-5, N908BT, New Smithville, PA, April 11, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 11, 2002, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC) - Place: New Smithville, PA - Coordinates: 40.508335, -75.673614 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.5083&lon=-75.6736&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 13, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 54504 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=IAD02LA042 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/54504/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54504 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD02LA042 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadequate evaluation of the weather which resulted in the loss of thermal lift and collision with trees. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with object, emergency landing - weather condition - no thermal lift (contributing factor) - weather evaluation - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - object - tree(s) ## Analysis During an "out-and-back" cross-country flight in a glider, the pilot noticed that the thermal lift began to dissipate, and he decided to "land out" in a field 1,500 feet below. He made a traffic pattern entry, and performed a forced landing. While on the base leg, the glider struck the top of a row of 20-foot-tall "hedge trees" at the edge of the field, and came to rest suspended in one of the trees. Examination of the glider revealed no mechanical anomalies. ## Factual narrative On April 11, 2002, at 1500 eastern daylight time, a WSK PZL PW-5 glider, N908BT, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near New Smithville, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight, which originated at Blairstown Airport (1N7), Blairstown, New Jersey. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. In a telephone interview, the pilot stated that he departed Blairstown about 1300. He intended to fly an "out-and-back" cross-country flight to Kutztown, Pennsylvania; however, during the return trip, lift began to dissipate, and he decided to "land out" in a field below him. He performed a traffic pattern entry to the field, and prepared for a forced landing to the east. While on the base leg, the glider struck the top of a row of 20-foot-tall 'hedge trees' at the edge of the field. The glider came to rest suspended in one of the trees. In a written statement, the pilot noted that the glider was at 1,500 feet above ground level when, "an outlanding field was chosen." The pilot stated that he obtained weather information from the Internet prior to his flight, which reported winds from 130 degrees, at 14 knots. The pilot reported 912 hours of total flight experience, 577 of which were in gliders. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector performed an on-scene examination of the glider. According to the inspector, the tail of the glider was separated and substantial damage was observed to both wings. A flight control continuity check revealed no mechanical anomalies. The winds reported at the Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE), Allentown, Pennsylvania, about 10 miles to the northeast, at 1451, were from 120 degrees at 9 knots. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N908BT](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N908BT), registered now, S/N 1707003, built 1997 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: WSK PZL PW-5 - Registry model: [Pzl-Swidnik PW-5](https://openairdocs.org/model/pzl-swidnik-pw-5) (registry code 9810150) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Glider - Serial number: 1707003 - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: William Thar - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Departed: 1N7, Blairstown, NJ - Destination: 1N7, Blairstown, NJ ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 58; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: expired; last flight review December 2, 2000; seat: left; flight hours: 912 total, 98 in this make and model, 827 as pilot in command, 15 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 120° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 63 °F, dew point 37 °F - Altimeter: 30.55 inHg - Observed at: ABE, 12 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20020411007159A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020411007159A), Apr 11, 2002: Newsmithville, PA, No damage. (.19) On April 11, 2002, at 1500 eastern daylight time, a wsk pzl PW-5 glider, N908BT, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near new smithville,… ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 1, 2003, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54504. 58 KB in all. - Memorandums of Telephone Conversations (item 1, .PDF, 58 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40173920&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Memorandums%20of%20Telephone%20Conversations-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.