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ERA21LA244

2021-06-05 · Sanford, Maine, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SFM

Current FAA registration · N7776S

Make / Model
SCHWEIZER SGS 2-33A
Year of manufacture
1969 · 52 years old at event
Engine
NONE NONE
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19690422
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AA8643

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control while landing in gusting wind conditions.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that during landing, a gust of wind displaced the glider laterally to the left. She attempted to maneuver for a normal landing on the grass runway; however, the glider was too low to maneuver around a parked glider. She landed at an angle on the runway, and the glider ground looped and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing the glider on runway 25 with wind from 260° at 12 knots, gusting to 17 knots. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Effect on operation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2021_ERA21LA244.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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