- Date
- July 21, 1990, 12:29 local (16:29 UTC)
- Place
- Gt. Barrington, MA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2724HSchweizer SGS-2-33A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900721027639A
- Case key
- 36697
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 maintain adequate clearance from tree during the precautionary landing. Factor was a loss of thermal lift.
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 aircraft was airborne with a private pilot on the flight controls in front and a CFI in the rear seat. The CFI said his purpose was to observe piloting technique and judgement with no formal instruction planned. The private pilot took the glider beyond gliding distance to the departure airport and although the CFI said he protested the pilot's action, he allowed it to happen. With the private pilot still on the controls, the glider was set up for a precautionary off airport landing in a field and encountered an area of sink. The glider struck a tree, spun around and hit the ground nose first.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2724H
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS-2-33A
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 504
- Airframe hours
- 1,841
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Nutmeg Soaring Association
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 24, 1990 · 38 hours before
- Departed
- GBR · Grt Barrington, MA
- Airport
- GBR · Great Barrington, runway 29, 2,600 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 76
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 810 total · 516 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
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 N2724H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.