Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Wurtsboro-Sullivan County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Wurtsboro, New York 12790
Saturday, August 23, 2008 14:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The certified flight instructor (CFI) of a Schweizer SGS2-33A glider stated that the accident flight was his first training flight with the student. He reviewed the student’s logbook and ascertained that he had a total of 25 flight hours in gliders. The CFI gave the student pilot ground instructions regarding speed limitations, pattern and approach speeds, and pattern entry execution. The student then performed the launch and tow to 2,500 feet above ground level, and the in-flight maneuvers were uneventful. During the approach to land, the CFI instructed the student pilot to "make a shallow left turn to get closer to runway 23;" however, the student pilot turned right. The CFI repeated "turn left," but the student pilot again turned right. The CFI advised the student pilot that he was taking control of the glider. He said that he repeated this to the student pilot but he did not respond nor did he relinquish control of the glider. Consequently, the glider impacted nose first into the ground. Examination of the glider by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the wings and fuselage were buckled.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the dual student to relinquish flight control of the glider.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/23/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1400 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Wurtsboro |
| Event State | NEW YORK |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 12790 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 413550N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0742730W |
| Event Location Airport | WURTSBORO-SULLIVAN COUNTY |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | N82 |
| 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 | 560 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1400 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 301 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MGJ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 364 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.25 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 24492 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA NEROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 23 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 9 2008 8:04PM |
| User who most recently changed record | grer |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N17885 |
| NTSB Number | MIA08CA172 |
| 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 | 2-33A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 255 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1040 |
| 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 | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 1 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 4475 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Waco Transport LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Bloomingburg |
| Aircraft Owner State | NJ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 12712 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Waco Transport LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Bloomingburg |
| Operator State | NJ |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 12712 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | N82 |
| Departure City | Wurtsboro |
| Departure State | NY |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1335 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | N82 |
| Destination City | Wurtsboro |
| Destination State | NY |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach - VFR pattern - final approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 9 2008 8:05PM |
| User who most recently changed record | grer |
| 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 | -- |