ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 155794
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| Date: | Saturday 4 May 2013 |
| Time: | 10:50 |
| Type: |  Schweizer SGS 2-33A |
| Owner/operator: | Civil Air Patrol |
| Registration: | N2045T |
| MSN: | 475 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1977 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 13624 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Van Sant Airport, Erwinna, PA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Test |
| Departure airport: | Erwinna, PA (9N1) |
| Erwinna, PA (9N1) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The glider pilot intended to practice stalls after being towed to an altitude of 3,000 feet mean sea level. Shortly after takeoff, the tow pilot observed the glider yaw left, then right, and then left again. He added that, for most of the tow, the glider appeared to be above the normal tow position with its nose pointed 45 degrees right. About 400 feet above ground level, the glider pilot released the tow line, and the glider turned about 180 degrees left; its right wing then impacted trees, and the glider pitched down and impacted terrain. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that the rudder control cables were rigged backward. The accident flight was the first flight following the glider’s most recent annual inspection. Before the annual inspection, the rudder had been removed for repair then re-installed. The mechanic who conducted a flight control check after the annual inspection with assistance from another pilot seated in the cockpit stated that he confirmed movement of the rudder while at the rear of the glider; however, he did not see which pedal the pilot was pushing and did not verbally confirm the corresponding position of the rudder pedals. If the pilot had conducted a thorough preflight inspection, he should have been able to detect that the rudder control cables were rigged backward.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s loss of glider control due to improper rigging of the rudder control cables, the mechanic’s inadequate flight control checks following the glider’s most recent annual inspection, and the pilot’s failure to perform a thorough preflight inspection.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=2045T
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 06-May-2013 19:24 | Geno | Added |
| 07-Jan-2014 19:54 | kmmuone | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 28-Nov-2017 14:39 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 31-May-2023 12:45 | Ron Averes | Updated [[Operator, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]] |
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