- Date
- May 22, 2007, 15:55 local (22:55 UTC)
- Place
- Los Alamitos, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N65844Schweizer SGS2-33A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 30, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20070522009219A
- Case key
- 65900
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
failure of the towrope during the initial climb out.
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
After a normal winch launch, the towrope broke about 300 feet above ground. The pilot made a shallow approach due to the low altitude, and was forced to land the glider at an angle to the runway. The glider skidded off the runway where it struck a parked truck that was about 75 feet from the runway edge.
Factual narrative
On May 22, 2007, at 1555 Pacific daylight time, a Schweizer SGS 2-33A, N65844, veered off the runway following a forced landing and struck a truck at the Los Alamitos (SLI) airport, Los Alamitos, California. The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) operated the glider under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The glider sustained substantial damage to the nose area. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area flight, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight was originating at the time.
According to the pilot, at 300 feet above the ground, the towrope broke. He made turns to land on the dirt runway, but was not able to align the glider with the runway.
According to the CAP representative, a normal winch launch had been initiated. The tow rope broke at a low altitude, and the pilot made a short approach and landing. The glider landed at an angle and skidded off the runway where it struck a truck parked about 75 feet off the runway edge.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N65844
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS2-33A
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 335
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Civil Air Patrol - California Wing, doing business as Los Alamitos Glider Training Squadron 41
- Registered owner
- Civil Air Patrol
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SLI · Los Alamitos, CA
- Destination
- SLI · Los Alamitos, CA
- Flight plan
- Military VFR
- Airport
- SLI · Los Alamitos Army Airfield
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
- 78
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 806 total · 70 in this make and model · 715 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- SLI, 1 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 30, 2007, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.0 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.
Other investigations on N65844 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.