Schleicher ASW-19B accident near Blairstown, New Jersey, March 18, 2006
On March 18, 2006 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Schleicher ASW-19B (glider), registered N439AS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Blairstown, 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).
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 18, 2006 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Blairstown, New Jersey · Blairstown · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASW-19B · all ASW-19Bs on the register
- Registration
- N439AS · registry record · serial 19231
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After about 1.5 hours of ridgeline flying, and during the outbound leg from the departure airport, the glider approached a valley. According to the pilot, "the ridge lift in this area dissipated rapidly due to a shift in wind direction." Due to the loss in lift, the pilot circled over a field and set up a downwind, base, and final approach for a landing. While on the "short final" leg of the approach, the pilot noticed an obstacle, elected to climb over it, and to land as quickly as possible on the opposite side. During the rollout, the pilot attempted to maneuver the glider between two trees; however, both wingtips impacted the trees, and the glider was substantially damaged.
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: 148 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: January 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 901 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 1,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1N7 Blairstown NJ
- Destination: 1N7
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
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 NYC06CA083.