- Date
- June 17, 2008, 14:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Warren, VT
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N227KSchleicher ASW-27B
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Portland, ME
- FAA report
- 20080617843769A
- Case key
- 68242
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 delayed decision to divert to a suitable landing area.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The commercial pilot stated that he was flying his Schleicher ASW-27B glider in a soaring competition, which consisted of flying to a given point and returning, while being timed. The pilot turned around at the specified location, and flew along a ridge on the return to the airport of origin. An on-board computer indicated that the glider would arrive at the airport at an altitude of 100 feet above ground level (AGL). The pilot continued to "work the ridge" in order to gain altitude, since his standard personal minimum was to arrive at an airport no lower than 600 feet AGL, and 1,000 feet AGL was his "ideal" arrival altitude. When still short of the airport, the pilot realized that the ridge was no longer producing lift, and that he would not make either the last suitable landing site behind him, or the destination airport. The pilot slowed the glider down so that he could "fly into the trees." The left wing impacted trees first. The glider fell through the trees, impacted the ground right wing first, and came to rest inverted. The glider was substantially damaged. The pilot noted that there were no mechanical anomalies with the glider.
Factual narrative
The commercial pilot stated that he was flying his Schleicher ASW-27B glider in a soaring competition, which consisted of flying to a given point and returning, while being timed. The pilot turned around at the specified location, and flew along a ridge on the return to the airport of origin. An on-board computer indicated that the glider would arrive at the airport at an altitude of 100 feet above ground level (AGL). The pilot continued to "work the ridge" in order to gain altitude, since his standard personal minimum was to arrive at an airport no lower than 600 feet AGL, and 1,000 feet AGL was his "ideal" arrival altitude. When still short of the airport, the pilot realized that the ridge was no longer producing lift, and that he would not make either the last suitable landing site behind him, or the destination airport. The pilot slowed the glider down so that he could "fly into the trees." The left wing impacted trees first. The glider fell through the trees, impacted the ground right wing first, and came to rest inverted. The glider was substantially damaged. The pilot noted that there were no mechanical anomalies with the glider.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N227K
- Reported as
- Schleicher ASW-27B
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 27199
- Airframe hours
- 250
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John Dezzutti
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 2008
- Departed
- 0B7 · Warren, VT
- Destination
- 0B7
- Airport
- 0B7 · Warren-Sugarbush Airport
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2007
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 2,443 total · 254 in this make and model · 2,203 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.69 inHg
- Observed at
- MPV, 12 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.