Schleicher ASW-27B N227K
17 June 2008 · Warren, Vermont, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 17 June 2008 at about 18:45 local time, a Schleicher ASW-27B registered N227K was involved in an accident near Warren, Vermont, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. 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 18:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Warren, Vermont, United States
- Nearest airport
- Warren-Sugarbush Airport (0B7)
- Coordinates
- 44.1167, -72.8228
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASW-27B
- Registration
- N227K
- Category
- Glider
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Warren → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC08CA217
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's delayed decision to divert to a suitable landing area.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The commercial pilot stated that he was flying his Schleicher ASW-27B glider in a soaring competition, which consisted of flying to a given point and returning, while being timed. The pilot turned around at the specified location, and flew along a ridge on the return to the airport of origin. An on-board computer indicated that the glider would arrive at the airport at an altitude of 100 feet above ground level (AGL). The pilot continued to "work the ridge" in order to gain altitude, since his standard personal minimum was to arrive at an airport no lower than 600 feet AGL, and 1,000 feet AGL was his "ideal" arrival altitude. When still short of the airport, the pilot realized that the ridge was no longer producing lift, and that he would not make either the last suitable landing site behind him, or the destination airport. The pilot slowed the glider down so that he could "fly into the trees." The left wing impacted trees first. The glider fell through the trees, impacted the ground right wing first, and came to rest inverted. The glider was substantially damaged. The pilot noted that there were no mechanical anomalies with the glider.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Schleicher ASW-27B accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Mar 2007 | Schleicher ASW-27B | Williams, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Aug 2005 | Schleicher ASW-27B | Encinal, Texas, United States | David Weaver | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jun 2003 | Schleicher ASW-27B | Valyermo, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Nov 2007 | Cessna 140 | Poultney, Vermont, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Oct 2009 | Cessna 172P | Bennington, Vermont, United States | Sky Training LLC | Fatal | 1 |
| 7 Sep 2009 | Hebert KITFOX SPEEDSTER | Morrisville, Vermont, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Jun 2007 | Piper PA-30 | Highgate, Vermont, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jun 2007 | Let SUPER BLANIK L-23 | Warren, Vermont, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Jun 2007 | Northwing APACHE QUEST | Springfield, Vermont, United States | Jeff Nicolay | Serious injuries | - |