NTSB Factual Report

On September 19, 2015, about 1409 eastern daylight time, a Schleicher ASW 19B glider, N27XX, was destroyed when it collided with terrain while attempting to land at Saratoga County Airport (5B2), Saratoga, New York. The private pilot was seriously injured. The glider was registered to and operated by the pilot as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions were reported and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The flight originated at 5B2 about 1338.

A designated pilot examiner for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was at the airport and witnessed the accident. He stated that he first observed the glider when it was on final approach for runway 32. The glider was "high and fast," and the landing gear and spoilers were retracted. He said the glider flew about halfway down the runway, climbed, turned right. It then banked steeply, made a left "teardrop" turn, and flew down the runway in the opposite direction. The witness never saw the spoilers extend, but the landing gear did extend and retract at least once during the turn. The glider made a second low pass (below 100 ft) over the runway at an "excessive" speed, but did not land. The witness said the glider entered another climb, made a very steep left turn, and nearly missed colliding with a building. The glider descended while in the turn and the left wing struck the ground followed by the nose. The witness said, "To summarize, the glider basically flew from a starting altitude of less than 50 ft, made nearly two complete teardrop course reversals. The left wing struck the ground before completing the second. During this time, possibly as much as two minutes, the gear was extended and retracted at least once but I did not see the spoilers extend."

The pilot stated that he did not remember the accident flight.

Data contained in a FlyWithCE GPS found in the wreckage was consistent with the witness's statement. The data, which included latitude/longitude, altitude, and groundspeed, began recording at 1338:32 when the glider departed runway 32 and ended at 1409:10. After departure, the glider performed several turning maneuvers away from the airport before returning to land. When the airplane arrived back at the airport, it flew downwind for runway 32 before turning onto final approach. At 1407:53, at a groundspeed of 154 knots, the glider flew about halfway down runway 32, before making a right turn followed by a steep left turn back down the runway, but in the opposite direction. At 1408:53, at a groundspeed of 80 knots, the glider entered a descending left turn before the data ended at 1409:10.

Postaccident examination of the wreckage by an FAA inspector revealed that glider cart-wheeled and came to rest on the right side of the final approach path of runway 32, resulting in extensive impact damage to the glider's wings and fuselage. The landing gear and spoilers were retracted. No mechanical deficiencies were noted that would have precluded normal operation of the glider prior to the accident.

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane single-engine sea, and glider. The pilot reported a total of 310 hours of flight experience; of which 145 hours were in gliders, and 56 hours was in the same make/model as the accident glider. The pilot was not required to have an FAA-issued medical certificate to operate a glider.

Weather reported at Albany International Airport (ALB), Albany, New York, at 1351, located about 18 miles south of 5B2, included wind from 170 degrees at 11 knots gusting to 17 knots, visibility 10 miles, few clouds at 11,000 ft, scattered clouds at 23,000 and 28,000 ft, temperature 27 degrees C, dewpoint 14 degrees C, and a barometric altimeter setting of 29.87 inches of mercury.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to maintain glider control while attempting to land.