- Date
- March 4, 2006, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hardwick, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N153PSPZL-Swidnik PW-5
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20060304002649A
- Case key
- 63315
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
A loss of lift which resulted in a forced landing.
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 the pilot, after about 2 hours of ridgeline flying, and during the return leg to the departure airport, he attempted to cross a valley were he encountered "strong turbulent air pushing the glider down." The pilot was able to transition through the valley but was unable to find any "substantial lift" on the opposite side. Unable to locate a suitable forced landing area, the pilot performed a forced landing into trees.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, after about 2 hours of ridgeline flying, and during the return leg to the departure airport, the pilot attempted to cross a valley were he encountered "strong turbulent air pushing the glider down." The pilot was able to transition through the valley but was unable to find any "substantial lift" on the opposite side. Unable to locate a suitable forced landing area, the pilot performed a forced landing into trees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N153PS
- Reported as
- PZL-Swidnik PW-5
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 17-10-025
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- 1N7 · Blairstown, NJ
- Destination
- 1N7
- Airport
- 1N7 · Blairstown
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
- Certificate
- Private
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2004
- Flight hours
- 300 total · 250 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots, gusting 12
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Observed at
- 12N
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.