Pzl-Swidnik PW-5 N500JN
26 April 2010 · Marana, Arizona, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 26 April 2010 at about 00:00 local time, a Pzl-Swidnik PW-5 registered N500JN, operated by Tucson Soaring Club Inc, was involved in an accident near Marana, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 00:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Marana, Arizona, United States
- Coordinates
- 32.4933, -111.4950
- Aircraft
- Pzl-Swidnik PW-5
- Registration
- N500JN
- Category
- Glider
- Operator
- Tucson Soaring Club Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- El Tiro → El Tiro
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR10CA215
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inability to find thermal lift. Contributing to the accident was the failure of a computer that provided glide information and vertical speed instrumentation as a result of an improperly routed electrical cable that caused a short in the electrical system and the pilot's lack of experience in the glider.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The glider pilot had been checked out in the glider the day of the accident and it was the first time she had flown this make and model. Approximately two hours into the flight, she smelled a burning rubber smell before all of the electronics ceased operating. She turned back to her departure airport, but due to her lack of experience she was unable to find a thermal and the glider continued to descend. During the forced off-field landing, the glider impacted trees and desert brush. Postaccident examination of the glider revealed that the cable supplying power to the removable data logger was routed improperly and had rubbed against a metal computer port, causing an electrical short and disabling the glide computer, global positioning system, and the vertical speed indicator.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Pzl-Swidnik PW-5 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Mar 2006 | Pzl-Swidnik PW-5 | Hardwick, New Jersey, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 31 May 2014 | Pzl-Swidnik PW 5 | Enumclaw, Washington, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 Jun 2005 | Pzl Swidnik PW-5 | Bloomingburg, New York, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 23 Jun 2018 | Pzl-Swidnik PW 5 | Waller, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Jun 2019 | Pzl-Swidnik PW-5 | Independence, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jul 2025 | Pzl Swidnik PW-5 | Kerrick, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Aug 2010 | Remos REMOS G-3/600 | Tucson, Arizona, United States | Tucson Aeroservice Center Inc | Fatal | 1 |
| 7 Mar 2010 | Aviat A-1C-200 | St. Johns, Arizona, United States | Travis Scott | No injuries | - |
| 29 Apr 2010 | Rogers RUTAN DEFIANT 40 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 31 Aug 2010 | Ayres S2R-G10 | Ligurta, Arizona, United States | Morris Equipment | Serious injuries | - |
| 16 Oct 2010 | Lindstrand Balloons 90A | Cottonwood, Arizona, United States | Eric Wadleigh | Serious injuries | - |
| 11 Mar 2010 | North American P51D | Chandler, Arizona, United States | Hirani Oil Arizona LLC | Fatal | 1 |