- Date
- August 14, 1990, 13:03 local (17:03 UTC)
- Place
- Erwinna, PA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N34461Schweizer SGS 1-35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900814032989A
- Case key
- 36715
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
Inadvertent release of the tow line at low altitude. A contributing factor was the landing in unsuitable terrain.
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
During takeoff roll the tow rope became slack and as the glider started its initial climb out to about 50 feet a.g.l. the rope slipped aft off of the tow hook. During the off airport landing, the nose touched a high mound of dirt, dropping the left wing. The pilot lost directional control and the glider skidded about 40 feet on the right wing coming to rest in the opposite direction of landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N34461
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS 1-35
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 41
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Richard Allen Giboney
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- 9N1
- Airport
- 9N1 · Van Sant
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
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Unknown
- Flight hours
- 439 total · 350 in this make and model · 350 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.