Schweizer SGS233 accident near Blairstown, New Jersey, June 29, 2019
On June 29, 2019 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 1978 Schweizer SGS233 (glider), registered N2894H, was involved in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Blairstown, New Jersey (Blairstown airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's improper landing flare and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action, which resulted in a hard landing and the instructor sustaining a serious injury.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 2019 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Blairstown, New Jersey · Blairstown · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer SGS233 A, built 1978
- Registration
- N2894H · no longer on the register · serial 524
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that, while on final approach to land on a grass field adjacent to the runway and with the student pilot on the controls, a gyrocopter lifted off toward his glider. The student maneuvered away from the gyrocopter and then continued the approach. During the landing, the student flared too high, and despite the instructor's intervention, the glider landed hard. The glider was not damaged; however, the instructor sustained a serious injury. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with 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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Flight time: 1,811 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: December 3, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: serious injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Jersey Ridge Soaring LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 1N7 Blairstown NJ
- Destination: 1N7 Blairstown NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07, 3,112 ft by 70 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 17, 2020. 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's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement | 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.
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.