Pzl-Swidnik PW-5 accident near Hardwick, New Jersey, March 4, 2006
On March 4, 2006 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Pzl-Swidnik PW-5 (glider), registered N153PS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hardwick, New Jersey (Blairstown 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of lift which resulted in a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 4, 2006 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hardwick, New Jersey · Blairstown · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pzl-Swidnik PW-5 · all PW-5s on the register
- Registration
- N153PS · registry record · serial 17-10-025
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, after about 2 hours of ridgeline flying, and during the return leg to the departure airport, he attempted to cross a valley were he encountered "strong turbulent air pushing the glider down." The pilot was able to transition through the valley but was unable to find any "substantial lift" on the opposite side. Unable to locate a suitable forced landing area, the pilot performed a forced landing into trees.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 300 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: None
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1N7 Blairstown NJ
- Destination: 1N7
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 10 knots, gusting 12
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Observation at 3:54 pm from 12N
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 NYC06CA076.