- Date
- October 22, 1995, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Barre, MA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N65852Schweizer SGS 2-33
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 27, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19951022033719A
- Case key
- 39117
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 improper inflight planning/decision, which resulted in his failure to return to the airport after encountering an area of no thermal lift, and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed, while maneuvering to avoid an obstruction during an off airport landing.
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 glider pilot reported that while thermal soaring at an altitude of 3350 feet, he encountered sinking air. He stated that he tried to return to the departure airport, but subsequently headed for an open field one-half mile from the airport. However, a utility pole was in his path. During a turn to avoid the pole, the glider was reported to have stalled about 25 feet above the ground and struck the ground in a nose down, left wing low attitude.
Factual narrative
On October 22, 1995, about 1430 eastern daylight time, a Schweizer SGS 2-33 glider, N65852, was substantially damaged when it struck the ground in Barre, Massachusetts. The private pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight which had departed the Tanner-Hiller Airport, Barre, at 1400, and was operated under 14 CFR Part 91.
In the NTSB Accident Report, the pilot stated:
Takeoff & tow to 3000 ft AGL normal Thermaled to 3350 Experienced heavy sink - Tried to return to airport Flew into a position where I wouldn't continue because of utility pole Turned left - left wing contacted ground - aircraft rotated 180 degrees
When interviewed, the pilot reported that the glider stalled during the turn, at an altitude of about 25 feet above the ground.
According to the FAA, the left wing was bent outboard of the strut attach point, and the fuselage was bent about 6 feet behind the cockpit.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N65852
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS 2-33
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 342
- Airframe hours
- 662
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bouchard Gliders
- Registered owner
- New England Soaring Assoc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 1995 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- 8B5
- Airport
- 8B5 · Tanner-Hiller
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
- 77
- Certificate
- Private
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 75 total · 75 in this make and model · 34 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORH, 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.