Schweizer SGS 2-33A accident near Waynesville, Ohio, July 10, 2022
On July 10, 2022 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 1981 Schweizer SGS 2-33A (glider), registered N3616Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Waynesville, Ohio (Caesar Creek Soaring Club Glid airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of situational awareness (geographic position), which resulted in his inability to locate the intended landing runway and his decision to perform an off-airport landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 2022 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Waynesville, Ohio · Caesar Creek Soaring Club Glid · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer SGS 2-33A, built 1981 · all SGS 2-33As on the register
- Registration
- N3616Q · registry record · serial 567
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, who held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating, was transitioning to flying gliders and had about 27 hours of glider flying experience at the time of the accident. On the afternoon of the accident flight he had completed two instructional flights before being signed off for his first solo flight. After departing on the solo flight, the pilot released the glider from the tow airplane at the planned altitude of 2,000 ft above ground level (agl). The pilot knew he was about 2 miles from the departure airport, but he was having difficulty locating the turf runway due to the glare of the setting sun. After descending to about 1,100 ft agl, and still not being able to locate the runway, he selected a corn field for an off-airport landing. The glider’s fuselage and right wing were substantially damaged during the subsequent landing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Glare › Effect on personnel
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Geographic disorient (lost) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 570.3 hours in all; 27.6 in this make and model; 9.9 in the last 90 days; 2.7 in the last 30 days; 459.8 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 4, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,818 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 26, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,040 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Soaring Society Of Dayton INC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 2,800 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from MGY, 8 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KMGY 102353Z AUTO 10003KT 10SM CLR 26/18 A2998 RMK AO2 SLP144 T02610178 10300 20261 56006
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on April 24, 2023. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.