# NTSB NYC94LA005: Swift S-1, N818AW, Blairstown, NJ, October 3, 1993

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: October 3, 1993, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place: Blairstown, NJ
- Location: 40.9873° N, 74.9547° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Blairstown, NJ, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.9873&lon=-74.9547&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report September 13, 1994
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 38697
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC94LA005
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/38697/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC94LA005

## Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall.  A factor is wind gust and the pilot's inexperience in type aircraft.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Loss of control - in flight, maneuvering
  - weather condition - gusts
  - airspeed - not maintained, pilot in command (cause)
  - lack of total experience in type of aircraft, pilot in command (contributing factor)
  - stall/spin - inadvertent, pilot in command (contributing factor)
- In flight collision with object, descent - uncontrolled
  - object - tree(s)

## Analysis

THIS WAS THE PILOT'S FIRST FLIGHT IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GLIDER. HE WAS FLYING ABOUT 300 FEET ABOVE THE EAST SIDE OF A RIDGE LINE THAT RUNS IN A GENERAL DIRECTION OF NORTHEAST TO SOUTHWEST. A GUST OF WIND WAS ENCOUNTERED, THE RIGHT WING DROPPED, AND THE GLIDER ENTERED A SPIN AND COLLIDED WITH TREES.  THE PILOT HAD 1000 HOURS OF GLIDER EXPERIENCE.  WINDS REPORTED IN THE AREA WERE FROM 300 DEGREES AT 15, GUSTING TO 25 MILES PER HOUR.

## Factual narrative

On Sunday, October 3, 1993, about 1630 eastern daylight time, a Swift S-1, N818AW, a glider, owned and piloted by Walter Parrasch, was substantially damaged when it collided with trees while maneuvering 5 miles north of the Blairstown Airport, Blairstown, New Jersey.  The pilot was not injured.  Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.  A flight plan had not been filed for the flight operating under 14 CFR 91.

This was the pilots first flight in the Polish built experimental glider.  The flight was along the east side of a ridge line.  In the NTSB Form 6120.1/2 the pilot stated:

"...[I] was flying over the ridge at approximately 300 feet above the ridge.  The wind was a quartering downwind.  I...encountered a wind gust which dropped my right wing and...my airspeed dropped ...The glider started to spin and there was no control of the glider at this point.  Seconds later it went straight down to the trees..."

The winds on the day of the accident were reported to be from 300 degrees at 15, gusting to 25 miles per hour.  The ridge line runs in an approximate direction of 060/240 degrees.

## Aircraft

- Registration: N818AW (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: Swift S-1
- Category: Glider
- Serial number: 111
- Airframe hours: 13
- Engines: unknown
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Walter R. Parrasch
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection: Annual, September 1, 1993, 13 hours before
- Departed: 1N7

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 69; private, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine sea, single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: center; flight hours: 2,000 total, 37 in this make and model, 2,000 as pilot in command, 37 in the last 90 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 300° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 64 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: ABE, 26 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 (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19931003051309A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19931003051309A), Oct 3, 1993: Swift SWIFT S1, Blairstown, NJ, Substantial damage. First flight in type. Encountered downdraft near a ridge. Dropped a wing stalled and spun into trees.

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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