Schweizer SGS 2-33AK accident near Windsor, Virginia, July 30, 2010
On July 30, 2010 at about 6:50 pm local time, a Schweizer SGS 2-33AK (glider), registered N17965, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Windsor, Virginia (Garner Gliderport airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The unauthorized installation of a battery and associated wiring and electrical components, which resulted in an in-flight electrical fire of undetermined origin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 30, 2010 · about 6:50 pm local time · cases in 2010
- Place
- Windsor, Virginia · Garner Gliderport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer SGS 2-33AK · all SGS 2-33AKs on the register
- Registration
- N17965 · no longer on the register · serial 265
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On the morning of the accident, the pilot arrived at the gliderport to practice for a check ride he was scheduled to take later that afternoon. The pilot, who was not a mechanic, selected and installed a "Gel-cell" battery behind the forward pilot seat during the preflight inspection of the glider. The battery was used to power the radio in the instrument panel. The pilot completed a low-level, traffic pattern flight and was then towed to 3,000 feet msl for a second flight. The glider climbed to 3,400 feet, about 5 miles from the gliderport, where the pilot smelled an unusual odor. The odor got stronger, he felt heat, and observed fire in the back seat. The pilot then deployed the spoilers and initiated an emergency descent. During the descent, the cockpit filled with smoke, and the pilot opened the canopy to clear the smoke. The smoke cleared, but the increased airflow exacerbated the fire. The pilot completed a forced landing to trees short of the gliderport, during which the glider sustained substantial damage in the ensuing post-crash fire. Examination of the glider by an NTSB fire and explosion expert could not determine the exact source of ignition in the battery or its associated wiring. Examination of the maintenance logbooks revealed that there were no entries for the work performed to install the electrical system, and neither was there any approval paperwork from the FAA pertaining to the modification.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during maneuvering defining event
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during emergency descent
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › Battery/charger › Malfunction other cases naming the electrical power
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Modification/alteration › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 180 hours in all; 40 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,545 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 2, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 1,040 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: 3VA8 Windsor VA at 6:35 pm
- Destination: 3VA8 Windsor VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,600 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 6:40 pm from SFQ, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on June 1, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Federal Aviation Administration Inspector Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Description of Battery Installed on Glider | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photographs of Battery Installed in Sister Glider | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Fire Factual Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Fire Factual Report Photographs | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Weather Records: Sfq Metars | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photo #1: View of Wreckage | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Photo #2: View of Battery Inside Glider Wreckage | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N17965 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N17965: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Schweizer SGS 2 gliders (2-33 and 2-32) 275 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Schweizer 1,187 aircraft on the register
- Garner Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Virginia 1,361 since 1982 · 228 in the last ten years
- Virginia 5,973 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N17965 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA10LA387.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.