- Date
- July 22, 2007, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Windsor, VA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N2743ZSchweizer SGS 1-26C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070722013679A
- Case key
- 66280
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 failure to properly plan the approach to the airport, which resulted in an in-flight collision with a tree. A factor was the gusty wind conditions.
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
While returning from a local flight, the pilot realized that the glider did not have enough altitude to reach the airport. He identified a farm field to perform a forced landing to. While on approach to the field, and while gliding over trees, the glider was "hit by a gust of wind," and entered the tree tops while traveling about 50 mph. The left wing struck a large tree, turning the glider 180 degrees, before the nose pitched down and impacted the forest floor. The pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies of the glider, and reported that the winds were "very gusty" on the day of the accident.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot of the Schweizer SGS 1-26C glider, while returning from a local flight he realized that the glider did not have enough altitude to reach the airport. He identified a farm field to perform a forced landing to. While on approach to the field, and while gliding over trees, the glider was "hit by a gust of wind," and entered the tree tops while traveling about 50 mph. The left wing struck a large tree, turning the glider 180 degrees, before the nose pitched down and impacted the forest floor. The pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies of the glider, and reported that the winds were "very gusty" on the day of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2743Z
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS 1-26C
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 246
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 3VA8 · Windsor, VA
- Destination
- 3VA8
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
- 57
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Flight hours
- 488 total · 305 in this make and model · 32 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 13 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- SFQ, 11 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 N2743Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.