- Date
- November 15, 1991, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Erwinna, PA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3617CSchweizer SGS-1-36
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911115052079A
- Case key
- 37110
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 rotated the glider prematurely, resulting in an inadvertent stall at too low an altitude to allow recovery. Factors related to the accident were the pilot's total lack of experience in gliders, no experience in this type of glider, and improper trim setting.
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
Just after lift off the glider ballooned above the tow plane. The pilot used elevator control to lower the altitude which resulted in the glider making contact with the runway and causing damage to the horizontal stabilizer. The glider climbed above the tow plane again, then pitched nose down into the ground. According to the pilot this was his first flight in this type of glider and he said he estimated the trim setting because he was not familiar with the trim system on this type of glider.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3617C
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS-1-36
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 12
- Airframe hours
- 360
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James S. Neithercott
- Registered owner
- Freedom'S Wings Int'L
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2000 · 20 hours before
- Airport
- 9N1 · Van Sant, runway 23, 3,000 × 400 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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Unknown
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 54 total · 16 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.