Schempp-Hirth DISCUS-CS N42CA
1 July 2007 · Freehold, New York, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 1 July 2007 at about 16:30 local time, a Schempp-Hirth DISCUS-CS registered N42CA, operated by Paul F. Quinn, was involved in an accident near Freehold, New York, 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 16:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Freehold, New York, United States
- Nearest airport
- Freehold (NY21)
- Coordinates
- 42.3586, -74.0594
- Aircraft
- Schempp-Hirth DISCUS-CS
- Registration
- N42CA
- Category
- Glider
- Operator
- Paul F. Quinn
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Glider Tow
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Freehold → Freehold
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ATL07CA101
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inadvertent activation of the tow release handle at a low altitude following an encounter with turbulence.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot stated that the takeoff was normal. His glider and the tow plane were on the initial climb out. During the climb they began to encounter heavy turbulence. At 200 feet AGL he continued to encounter heavy turbulence and bumped his head twice against the canopy. He inadvertently hit the release cable handle at a low altitude, and disconnected from the tow plane. He attempted to return to the airport and collided with trees after losing lift. The pilot did not report any flight control anomalies with the glider.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Schempp-Hirth DISCUS accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Apr 2006 | Schempp-Hirth DISCUS B | Minden, Nevada, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 8 Aug 2006 | Schempp-Hirth DISCUS-2CT | Julian, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 2009 | Schempp Hirth DISCUS CS | Williams, California, United States | Richard M Parker | Serious injuries | - |
| 9 May 2005 | Schempp-Hirth DISCUS 2B | Peoria, Arizona, United States | John H Weber | No injuries | - |
| 10 Mar 2003 | Schempp-Hirth DISCUS-2B | Clermont, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jan 2001 | Schempp-Hirth DISCUS CS | Wurtsboro, New York, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Aug 2007 | Cessna 172N | Rochester, New York, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 25 Feb 2007 | Cessna 172 | Utica, New York, United States | John Farruggia | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jul 2007 | Ontario Avia Hist Soc FOKKER D VII | Geneseo, New York, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Aug 2007 | Learjet 60 | Westhampton, New York, United States | Jet Share US, LLC | No injuries | - |
| 26 Aug 2007 | Cessna A185F | Danube, New York, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Jul 2007 | Boeing 737 | New York City, New York, United States | Delta Airlines Inc DFW Base Maintenance | No injuries | - |