Schweizer SGS 1-26E N33WP
20 March 1997 · Benton, Tennessee, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 20 March 1997 at about 19:30 local time, a Schweizer SGS 1-26E registered N33WP, operated by Wendylene, Inc., was involved in an accident near Benton, Tennessee, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 19:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Benton, Tennessee, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.1708, -84.6508
- Aircraft
- Schweizer SGS 1-26E
- Registration
- N33WP
- Category
- Glider
- Operator
- Wendylene, 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
- MIA97LA101
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The failure of the pilot to maintain altitude and clearance from the trees on a ridge line.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
While soaring along a ridge the pilot descended the glider to about 20 feet above the trees. As he made a turn away from the ridge the glider encountered heavy sink and descended. A wing tip caught a tree and the glider spun around and nosed into the trees where it came to rest.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Schweizer SGS-1 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jul 1997 | Schweizer SGS-1-26B | Eustis, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Aug 1997 | Schweizer SGS 1-26E | Zionsville, Indiana, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Sep 1997 | Schweizer SGS 1-34 | Heber City, Utah, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 May 1997 | Schweizer SGS 1-26E | Fort Wainwright, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Nov 1996 | Schweizer SGS 1-36 | Boulder, Colorado, United States | The Cloud Base | Fatal | 1 |
| 1 Sep 1996 | Schweizer SGS-1-26E | Elmira, New York, United States | Harris Hill Soaring Corp., | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jul 1997 | Cessna 177RG | Knoxville, Tennessee, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jul 1997 | Cessna 172M | Athens, Tennessee, United States | Michael B. Guest | No injuries | - |
| 22 Jul 1997 | Cessna 150L | Portland, Tennessee, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 21 Jul 1997 | Avid IV | Memphis, Tennessee, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Aug 1997 | Hughes 269A | Dandridge, Tennessee, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Aug 1997 | Piper PA-28-140 | Milan, Tennessee, United States | Stephen Aldred | Minor injuries | - |