- Date
- March 9, 1997, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Woodbine, MD
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2559HSchweizer SGS-233A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 21, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970309002619A
- Case key
- 28185
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 pilot misjudged his altitude during approach.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, the glider struck trees during final approach to a grass strip. According to FAA records, the pilot received a third class medical on October 3, 1991, at which time he reported over 260 hours of total flight experience. The FAA and NTSB were unable to obtain any information from the pilot, and a completed NTSB Form 6120.1/2 was not received from the pilot/operator of the glider. |Examination of the wreckage did not disclose any anomalies with the glider.
Factual narrative
On March 9, 1997, at 1600 eastern standard time, N2559H, a Schweizer SGS-233A glider, was substantially damaged when it collided with trees during final approach at the Woodbine Airport, Woodbine, Maryland. The private pilot and passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The local, personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, during final approach to a grass strip, the glider struck trees. The pilot reported over 260 hours of total flight experience when he completed a third class medical certificate that was issued on October 3, 1991.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were unable to obtain any information from the pilot, and a completed NTSB Form 6120.1/2 was not received from the pilot/operator of the glider.
Examination of the wreckage did not disclose any anomalies with the glider.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2559H
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS-233A
- Category
- Glider
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Thomas Britt Passin
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- MD
- Airport
- MD78 · Woodbine
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 260 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.