Schweizer SGS233 accident near Churchville, Maryland, August 5, 2018
On August 5, 2018 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1978 Schweizer SGS233 (glider), registered N2832H, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Churchville, Maryland (Harford County airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilots' decision to take off from a wet, upsloping turf runway with a quartering tailwind and elevated density altitude conditions, which degraded takeoff and climb performance and resulted in the glider flight instructor's decision to discontinue the takeoff and the glider's subsequent impact with trees. Also causal was the pilots' failure to adhere to the operator's standard operating procedures, which prohibited takeoff with a tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 2018 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Churchville, Maryland · Harford County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer SGS233 A, built 1978
- Registration
- N2832H · registry record · serial 532
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot of the tow airplane stated that he was conducting the glider tow operations from an upsloping turf surface that was shorter than his usual takeoff area and was wet in some areas. He reported that the takeoff roll was long due to the humid, hot weather conditions, but he estimated that the glider would clear the tree line off the end of the runway by at least 20 ft. The flight instructor in the glider reported that the tow airplane became airborne about 100 ft later than on earlier flights that day. During the tow aloft, when it became apparent to him that they might not clear trees that were located about 1,300 ft off the end of the runway, he released the glider from the tow airplane, made a right turn to avoid trees, and attempted to execute a forced landing in a nearby field. He had completed about 130° to 150° of the turn when the glider's left wing impacted trees. The pilot of the tow airplane reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the tow airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The wind conditions reported at nearby airports included a quartering tailwind at 8 knots. Additionally, the calculated density altitude at the time of takeoff was about 2,500 ft, which would have reduced the tow airplane's climb rate by about 20% and increased its takeoff distance by about 26%. The tailwind, density altitude, runway upslope, and wet turf likely resulted in takeoff and climb performance of the tow airplane that was inadequate for the glider tow operation. The pilots likely did not adequately assess the multiple factors negatively impacting takeoff and climb performance and did not adhere to the operator's standard operating procedures, which prohibited takeoff with a tailwind. Although the conditions were conducive to carburetor icing at glide power, the tow airplane was operating at takeoff power; therefore, it is unlikely that ice would have accumulated at the higher power setting.
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
- Glider tow event during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of policy/procedure › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Wet surface › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › High density altitude › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: glider; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 5,200 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 5,050 as pilot in command; 580 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 7, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,439 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 25, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,040 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: 0W3 Churchville MD at 7:00 pm
- Destination: 0W3 Churchville MD
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 6:45 pm from KMTN, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA18LA211.