No fatalities

25 Jun 2015: SCHWEIZER SGS 2 32 NO SERIES — CLEVELAND SOARING SOCIETY INC — Middlefield, OH

Middlefield, OH, United States

On 25 Jun 2015, a SCHWEIZER SGS 2 32 NO SERIES operated by CLEVELAND SOARING SOCIETY INC was involved in an aviation accident near Middlefield, OH. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot did not enter the correct control inputs during a simulated glider tow rope break emergency procedure, leading to a stall and incipient spin. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 13 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During a simulated glider tow rope break emergency, the student pilot failed to apply correct inputs, causing a stall and incipient spin. The instructor recovered but then had to dive under power lines, impacting terrain and trees.

Accident Sequence

A flight instructor and a student pilot were conducting a simulated glider tow rope break emergency procedure. According to the flight instructor's report, the student pilot did not enter the correct control inputs during the maneuver. As a result, the glider stalled and entered an incipient spin. The flight instructor was able to arrest the spin, but subsequently became confronted with power line wires. The instructor reported that he immediately applied down elevator, diving under the power lines. The glider then impacted the terrain and trees.

Damage

The accident resulted in substantial damage to both wings and the horizontal stabilizer of the glider.

Investigation

The flight instructor reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.

Probable cause

The student pilot did not enter the correct control inputs during a simulated glider tow rope break emergency procedure, leading to a stall and incipient spin.

Contributing factors

Causes

Student/instructed pilotPerformance/control parameters — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome