The Turn From Base To Final “Looked Early, And Slightly Higher Than Normal.”

Location: Blairstown, NJ Accident Number: ERA22FA227
Date & Time: May 15, 2022, 14:58 Local Registration: N17879
Aircraft: Schweizer SGS 2-33A Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional

On May 15, 2022, at 1458 eastern daylight time, a Schweizer SGS-2-33A glider, N17879, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Blairstown, New Jersey. The pilot was fatally injured. The glider was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 solo instructional flight.

According to the pilot’s flight instructor, he met the pilot at the airport to review his logbook and plan for two instructional flights. He reported the weather as “good with light winds and smooth conditions” based on flights he performed earlier that day. The two dual flights, which were performed in the traffic pattern for runway 25, were uneventful. The instructor noted that the pilot flew well on each flight, exercised good judgement, and flew well within safety limits. Following the completion of the second flight, the instructor issued a 90-day solo endorsement.

During the 2nd solo traffic pattern flight, the first of which was uneventful, the flight instructor noticed that the turn from base to final “looked early, and slightly higher than normal.” The glider then entered a forward slip and descended closer to a “normal glide path” for the runway; however, it was left of runway centerline and “somewhat close to tall trees on the left.” During recovery from a second forward slip, the glider had a slight left bank angle, which caused it to track closer to the trees. The wings then leveled, and the glider struck trees with its left wing, rotated, and pitched steeply nose down before it impacted terrain.

Examination of the accident site revealed that the glider came to rest inverted in a grass field about 300 ft short of the runway 25 threshold, and about 235 ft left of the runway centerline. The glider was largely intact, and all major components were present at the accident site. Both wings had leading edge impact/crushing damage outboard of the wing struts. Tree bark fragments were present in the damaged area of the left wing. The fuselage was buckled and twisted toward the right, about 2 ft aft of the wing’s trailing edge. The upper 10 inches of the vertical stabilizer and rudder were impact-damaged. The forward sections of the cockpit and canopy were crushed and fragmented, forward of the front seat. The front seat was relatively undamaged, and the 4-point harness was intact and remained attached to each of its mounting points.

Flight control continuity was established for all primary flight controls from the cockpit to the control surfaces. All cables and push pull tubes remained connected, and the elevator, aileron, and rudder could all be moved from the cockpit controls, with binding. The speed brake control lever was in the retracted position and the speed brakes were not extended.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov