Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Solberg-Hunterdon Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Readington, New Jersey 08870
Saturday, May 11, 1996 16:45 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot obtained a prerecorded weather briefing about 0930 that stated VFR flight was not recommended due to an expected frontal passage that afternoon. The pilot was flown in a tow plane to retrieve a Club glider at another airport. The glider was preflighted, and the tow plane departed about 1625 with the glider in tow. Upon arrival at their destination airport, the glider pilot released from the tow plane and entered the downwind for runway 22. The pilot stated that after he established the glider on a right base for runway 22, he encountered a down draft and determined that he would not make runway 22. The pilot then made a steep right turn and attempted to land on runway 31. He was not able to level the wings with full left aileron and the right wing struck the ground. A witness stated that the glider flew the base leg on the far side of runway 31, and when it turned final it developed a sink rate. The pilot estimated the winds were from 230 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 20. During the previous 5-1/2 months, the pilot had logged 2 landings and a total of 1 hour and 27 minutes in gliders.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's inadequate evaluation of the weather, and his misjudgment of altitude and distance from the runway. Contributing factors were the pilot's lack of recent experience and the weather.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/11/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1645 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | READINGTON |
| Event State | NEW JERSEY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 08870 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | SOLBERG-HUNTERDON |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SBJ |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 195 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Partial - limited by pilot |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1651 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 290 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ABE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 394 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 33 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3100 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 4 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 501 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 11 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1645 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:01AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N17957 |
| NTSB Number | NYC96LA104 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Schweizer |
| Aircraft Model | SGS-2-33A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | SGS-2-33A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 287 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1040 |
| Aircraft Category | Glider |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 8 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 5 |
| Airframe Hours | 2600 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CENTRAL JERSEY SOARING CLUB |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1426 VALLEY DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | WALL |
| Aircraft Owner State | NJ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 07719 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 2NO |
| Departure City | VAN SANT |
| Departure State | PA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1625 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | SBJ |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 31 |
| Runway Length | 3060 |
| Runway Width | 200 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |