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ERA22LA407

2022-09-03 · Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Current FAA registration · N17867

Make / Model
SCHWEIZER SGS 2-33A
Year of manufacture
1973 · 49 years old at event
Engine
NONE NONE
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19730524
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A13A2F

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The glider’s encounter with atmospheric conditions, where the lift was not sufficient to maintain flight resulting in an off-airport landing and collision with powerlines.

Factual narrative

The glider took off under aerotow about for a flight in the local soaring area. After flying about 45 minutes the pilot decided to reposition to a different ridge but during his transition, he encountered a loss of lift and started to lose altitude. Unable to gain sufficient lift, he was forced to make an off-airport landing. During his approach, he noticed another glider in the field and there were midfield powerlines. The pilot passed over the glider on the ground but impacted the powerlines. The impact with the powerlines and subsequent collision with terrain resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The pilot reported that there were no pre accident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the glider that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Altitude-Attain/maintain not possible
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Temp/humidity/pressure-Thermal lifting-Effect on operation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2022_ERA22LA407.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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