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WPR13CA333

2013-07-20 · Hood River, Oregon, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 4S2

Current FAA registration · N2052T

Make / Model
SCHWEIZER SGS 2-33A
Engine
NONE NONE
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19771202
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A1A746

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The glider encountered atmospheric conditions where the lift was not sufficient to maintain flight, which resulted in an off airport landing on rough terrain.

Factual narrative

The pilot stated that the glider was 2 miles from the airport on an extended base leg, when it encountered a loss of lift.  He could not make it to the runway, so he landed off airport in a field, which was too short for a normal rollout. The pilot intentionally  ground-looped the glider to avoid a fence, but the terrain was rough, and the  fuselage and right wing were substantially damaged.  The pilot reported no preimpact  mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot stated that the glider was 2 miles from the airport on an extended base leg, when it encountered a loss of lift.  He could not make it to the runway, so he landed off airport in a field, which was too short for a normal rollout. The pilot intentionally  ground-looped the glider to avoid a fence, but the terrain was rough, and the  fuselage and right wing were substantially damaged.  The pilot reported no preimpact  mechanical malfunctions or failures with 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.

  • C Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Downdraft-Ability to respond/compensate - C
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Terrain-Rough terrain-Effect on equipment

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2013_WPR13CA333.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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