Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Ridge Soaring Gliderport Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Unionville, Pennsylvania 19375
Saturday, July 14, 2007 17:45 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot had been flying in a glider for nearly an hour. Upon entering the traffic pattern for landing, he announced his intentions over the radio. Witnesses went outside and observed the glider on downwind; thereafter, it turned onto base. While on base, the nose of the glider pitched down suddenly, near vertical, and then disappeared into the forest. The glider collided with trees, the cockpit section was ripped open, and the glider remained suspended in the trees. The pilot remained in the wreckage suspended in the trees. The pilot complained about having trouble breathing and apologized for damaging the glider. The witness stated that, before his death, the pilot said "I don't know why I did that." Flight control continuity was established and no discrepancies with the glider were noted during examination of the wreckage.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the glider for undetermined reasons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/14/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1745 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Unionville |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 19375 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 405302N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0775426W |
| Event Location Airport | Ridge Soaring Gliderport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 79N |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1740 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 308 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | UNV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1239 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 4 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 88 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 220 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 16 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.05 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 24932 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Eastern Region ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 14 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 18 2009 2:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Harrisburg, PA FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N775SS |
| NTSB Number | MIA07LA121 |
| 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 | Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau |
| Aircraft Model | G102 ASTIR CS |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1353 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 990 |
| Aircraft Category | Glider |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 10 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 5 |
| Airframe Hours | 963 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Knauff & Grove Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3523 S. Eagle Valley RD |
| Aircraft Owner City | Julian |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 16844 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | RD 2 Box 392 |
| Operator City | Huntingdon |
| Operator State | PA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 16652 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 79N |
| Departure City | Unionville |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1645 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | 79N |
| Destination City | Unionville |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach - VFR pattern - turn to base |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 16 2009 8:21PM |
| User who most recently changed record | muzd |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |