- Date
- September 17, 1995, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Picayune, MS
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2717ZSchweizer SGU-2-22K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 19, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950917029809A
- Case key
- 37827
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-in-command's disregard of a weather forecast and flight into known adverse weather condition (thunderstorm). The thunderstorm, and associated wind gusts, were factors.
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
The pilot-in-command stated he obtained a weather briefing before departing on the flight and was advised of thunderstorms in the area. While airborne he observed the thunderstorm and thought it had matured and was dissipating. A short time later the thunderstorm developed and started moving towards his destination airport. He decided to make an approach to the airport, but had to abandon the approach due to the thunderstorm. He maneuvered the glider for an approach to a football field when the glider encountered a gust of wind and collided with trees and the roof of a house.
Factual narrative
On September 17, 1995, about 1500 central daylight time, a Schweizer SGU-2-22K, N2717Z, registered to a private owner, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, collided with trees while attempting to land in the vicinity of Picayune, Mississippi. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The glider was destroyed. The pilot-in- command (PIC) reported no injuries and student rated pilot reported minor injuries. The flight originated from Picayune, Mississippi, about 30 minutes before the accident.
The PIC stated he obtained a weather briefing from Greenwood Flight Service Station before departing on the flight and was advised of thunderstorms in the area. While in the training area he observed a thunderstorm and believed it had matured and was dissipating. A short time later the thunderstorm started to develop and moved towards the Picayune Airport. He decided to return to the airport and make an approach to runway 23. The approach was terminated due to the thunderstorm reaching the airport first. He maneuvered the glider for an approach to a football field and was about 40 feet agl, when the glider encountered a strong wind gust and collided with the trees and the roof of a house.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2717Z
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGU-2-22K
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 170
- Airframe hours
- 1,054
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Francis K. Knippers
- Registered owner
- Larry Knauer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 1995 · 42 hours before
- Departed
- PCU
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
- 51
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 10,196 total · 8 in this make and model · 9,880 as pilot in command · 73 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GPT, 32 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.
Other investigations on N2717Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.