Schweizer SGS 2-33A N3616Q

Summary

On 10 July 2022 at about 23:30 local time, a Schweizer SGS 2-33A registered N3616Q, operated by Soaring Society of Dayton Inc, was involved in an accident near Waynesville, Ohio, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 July 2022 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Waynesville, Ohio, United States

Nearest airport

Caesar Creek Soaring Club Glid (2OH9)

Coordinates

39.4769, -84.0929

Aircraft

Schweizer SGS 2-33A

Registration

N3616Q

Category

Glider

Year built

1981

Operator

Soaring Society of Dayton Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA22LA326

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s loss of situational awareness (geographic position), which resulted in his inability to locate the intended landing runway and his decision to perform an off-airport landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot, who held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating, was transitioning to flying gliders and had about 27 hours of glider flying experience at the time of the accident. On the afternoon of the accident flight he had completed two instructional flights before being signed off for his first solo flight. After departing on the solo flight, the pilot released the glider from the tow airplane at the planned altitude of 2,000 ft above ground level (agl). The pilot knew he was about 2 miles from the departure airport, but he was having difficulty locating the turf runway due to the glare of the setting sun. After descending to about 1,100 ft agl, and still not being able to locate the runway, he selected a corn field for an off-airport landing. The glider’s fuselage and right wing were substantially damaged during the subsequent landing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the glider that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.