Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Brookhaven Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Shirley, New York 11967
Saturday, April 27, 2013 11:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Immediately following an uneventful checkout flight, the glider was towed and released for the pilot’s solo flight. According to the pilot’s flight instructor, the solo flight appeared normal during final approach to about 250 feet above ground level, then the glider’s left wing dropped, consistent with a stall, and the glider subsequently descended to the ground. The tow pilot indicated that he observed that the glider’s dive brakes were half-deployed, which was “normal.”
Although the pilot had a documented history of hypertension, the autopsy reported no evidence indicating that he had a heart attack during the accident flight. Toxicological testing revealed therapeutic levels of diphenhydramine, consistent with the pilot taking the medication about 2 to 3 hours before the accident. Diphenhydramine is a sedating antihistamine and could have impaired the pilot’s cognitive and psychomotor performance.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed during final approach, which resulted in a stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s likely impairment due to an over-the-counter sedating antihistamine.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/27/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1130 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Shirley |
| Event State | NEW YORK |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 11967 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 404834N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0725117W |
| Event Location Airport | Brookhaven Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | HWV |
| 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 | 81 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1156 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 330 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HWV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 81 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| 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) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.4 |
| 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) | 32423 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Eastern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 24 2014 2:46PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9857E |
| NTSB Number | ERA13FA215 |
| 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 | 24 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1430 |
| Aircraft Category | Glider |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| 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 | Jan 3 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3647 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | LONG ISLAND SOARING ASSOC INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | MERRICK |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 11566 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | LONG ISLAND SOARING ASSOC INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | MERRICK |
| Operator State | NY |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 11566 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | HWV |
| Departure City | Shirley |
| Departure State | NY |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1115 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | HWV |
| Destination City | Shirley |
| Destination State | NY |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 24 2014 2:46PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 33 |
| Runway Length | 4222 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |