Schweizer SGS2-33A N2054T

Summary

On 10 September 2005 at about 16:48 local time, a Schweizer SGS2-33A registered N2054T was involved in an accident near Peoria, Arizona, 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 September 2005 at 16:48

Classification

Accident

Location

Peoria, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Pleasant Valley Airport (P48)

Coordinates

33.7006, -112.2506

Aircraft

Schweizer SGS2-33A

Registration

N2054T

Category

Glider

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Peoria → Peoria

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX05CA294

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's encounter with obstacles and unsuitable terrain in the landing area during the pilot's attempted precautionary landing. A factor in the accident was the loose wing root gap seal fairing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot reacted to an unusual noise, released from the tow plane immediately after liftoff, and the glider collided with a cactus. This was the first flight of the day for the glider and the pilot. He preflighted the glider, and noted no anomalies. The tow started from the normal point about midway down runway 23L. About 10 feet in the air, the pilot heard a metallic flapping sound. Believing that it might be a structural problem, he released from the tow. While the pilot was looking for a place to land, the glider hit the ground and bounced. The glider then hit a cactus plant about 1,200 feet from the runway, and the pilot lost control. It hit a second cactus with the right wing. The glider spun around, and collided with terrain resulting in substantial damage. Post flight examination revealed a loose wing root gap cover fairing. A ground witness observed the fairing come loose during the takeoff ground roll. An instructor who flew this glider the previous week reported that the fairing checked good on preflight, but came loose in flight. The instructor said the glider's handling characteristics were not affected by the loose fairing and he landed uneventfully.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.