Schweizer SGS 2-33A N17879 accident near Blairstown, New Jersey

Probable cause

The student pilot’s failure to maintain proper alignment with the landing area during the approach, which resulted in the left wing impacting a tree.

NTSB analysis

The student pilot was maneuvering the glider for landing in the grass area left of and parallel to the runway after a solo traffic pattern flight. Witnesses reported that, as the pilot turned the glider left from the base leg to final, the turn was “early,” resulting in the glider being left of the approach path, and “slightly higher than normal.” The pilot performed a forward slip and recovered, which appeared to put the glider closer to a normal glidepath; however, it was “somewhat close” to tall trees located to the left of the approach path. The pilot then entered another forward slip, and the glider maintained a slight left bank during the recovery, which placed it closer to the trees. The left wing subsequently impacted a tree and the glider rotated to the left, pitched downward, and descended into a grass field adjacent to the tree line.

Examination of the glider revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Although a bird remnant was found in the debris path, no remnants were found on the glider or any of its components, and it is likely that the remnant was present before the accident.

It is likely that the pilot became fixated on attaining the proper glide path during the landing approach and failed to correct the glider’s lateral misalignment with the intended landing area, which resulted in impact with the tree.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA22FA227 for the full record.