Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Franconia Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Franconia, New Hampshire 03580
Saturday, August 24, 1996 14:50 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The glider pilot was conducting a local flight south of the airport when he observed a squall line to the west. He decided to return to the airport and enter the traffic pattern west of the runway. He planned to conduct an approach and landing to runway 36. While in the pattern entry area, west of the runway, the pilot executed a 360-degree turn to lose altitude. During the turn, the pilot estimated the glider was too low; he stopped the 360-degree turn. He then flew over the runway to the east for a right downwind entry. As the glider approached the east side of the runway, the pilot again estimated the glider was too low; he performed a 180-degree turn back to the runway. As the glider rolled out of the 180-degree turn, it impacted trees east and short of the runway.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's misjudged altitude and distance which resulted in the collision with trees short of the runway.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/24/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1450 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | FRANCONIA |
| Event State | NEW HAMPSHIRE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 03580 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | FRANCONIA |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 1B5 |
| 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 | 970 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1452 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 55 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HIE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1074 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 6500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1207 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 24 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1620 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:18AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N591SZ |
| NTSB Number | NYC96LA172 |
| 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 | PZL-BIELSKO |
| Aircraft Model | SZD-59 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | SZD-59 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | B-2168 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1190 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 22 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 21 |
| Airframe Hours | 21 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GARY L. SNIDER |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO BOX 32 |
| Aircraft Owner City | NORTH WOODSTOCK |
| Aircraft Owner State | NH |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 03262 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 1B5 |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1420 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| 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 | 36 |
| Runway Length | 2200 |
| Runway Width | 90 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |