Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Blairstown Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bath, Pennsylvania 18014
Monday, January 29, 2007 15:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The glider collided with trees while the pilot was attempting an off airport landing. The glider was towed to an altitude of 3,000 feet and released. The pilot flew around a ridgeline for about 30 minutes, and when the lift dissipated, he elected to attempt a landing in a corn field. During the base to final approach turn, the glider impacted trees prior to coming to rest in the field. The outboard 6 feet of the glider's left wing separated, and the fuselage was damaged. The pilot reported that he extended the downwind leg too far, and did not compensate adequately for winds. Winds were reported about the time of the accident, at an airport located 22 miles north of the accident site, from 290 degrees at 8 knots. The pilot reported 3,400 hours of total glider flight experience, which included about 300 hours in the same make and model as the accident glider.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's misjudged altitude/distance while on approach, which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees during an off airport landing. A factor in the accident was the loss of lift.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/29/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1500 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Bath |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 18014 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 404828N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0752348W |
| Event Location Airport | Blairstown |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 1N7 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 20 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 372 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1453 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MPO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1916 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 22 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3700 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -8 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 290 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.79 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | -- |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 21366 |
| NTSB Notification Source | EROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 5 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 25 2007 2:54PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Allentown |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N32BM |
| NTSB Number | NYC07CA060 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Schweizer |
| Aircraft Model | SGS 2-32 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 33 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1400 |
| Aircraft Category | Glider |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 0 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 6600 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | James R. Angelou |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Columbia |
| Aircraft Owner State | NJ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 07832 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Robert E. Cook |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Newton |
| Operator State | NJ |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 07860 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 1N7 |
| Departure City | Blairstown |
| Departure State | PA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | 1N7 |
| Destination City | Bath |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 13 2007 2:33PM |
| User who most recently changed record | ANDJ |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |