- Date
- July 21, 2007, 16:35 local (20:35 UTC)
- Place
- Big Flats, NY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2768HSchweizer SGS 1-26E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Rochester NY FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070721017189A
- Case key
- 66276
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's misjudged distance/altitude during approach resulting in collision with trees and the ground.
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
Pilot stated that he was towed up to 3,700 feet mean sea level (msl) and released. He was up for approximately 1.45 hours and then found himself 3 miles south of the airport at 2,000 feet msl. During the approach to the airport, he encountered a gusty headwind and lost altitude. He realized too late that he wasn't going to have enough altitude to make it to the airport. The glider collided with trees and dropped to the ground about 100 meters south of the intended airport.
Factual narrative
Pilot stated that he was towed up to 3,700 feet mean sea level (msl) and released. He was up for approximately 1.45 hours and then found himself 3 miles south of the airport at 2,000 feet msl. During the approach to the airport, he encountered a gusty headwind and lost altitude. He realized too late that he wasn't going to have enough altitude to make it to the airport. The glider collided with trees and dropped to the ground about 100 meters south of the intended airport.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2768H
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS 1-26E
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 678
- Airframe hours
- 1,645
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jashia E Murphy
- Registered owner
- Harris Hill Soaring Corperation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2006
- Departed
- 4NY8 · Elmira, NY
- Destination
- Big Flats, NY
- Airport
- 4NY8 · Harris Hill
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
- 16
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Last flight review
- July 1, 2007
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 29 total · 12 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 11 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- KELM
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.