Schweizer SGS 2-32 accident near Bath, Pennsylvania, January 29, 2007
On January 29, 2007 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Schweizer SGS 2-32 (glider), registered N32BM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bath, Pennsylvania (Blairstown airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's misjudged altitude/distance while on approach, which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees during an off airport landing. A factor in the accident was the loss of lift.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 29, 2007 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bath, Pennsylvania · Blairstown · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer SGS 2-32 · all SGS 2-32s on the register
- Registration
- N32BM · registry record · serial 33
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The glider collided with trees while the pilot was attempting an off airport landing. The glider was towed to an altitude of 3,000 feet and released. The pilot flew around a ridgeline for about 30 minutes, and when the lift dissipated, he elected to attempt a landing in a corn field. During the base to final approach turn, the glider impacted trees prior to coming to rest in the field. The outboard 6 feet of the glider's left wing separated, and the fuselage was damaged. The pilot reported that he extended the downwind leg too far, and did not compensate adequately for winds. Winds were reported about the time of the accident, at an airport located 22 miles north of the accident site, from 290 degrees at 8 knots. The pilot reported 3,400 hours of total glider flight experience, which included about 300 hours in the same make and model as the accident glider.
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
Crew member
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: glider; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 3,800 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 1, 2005
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1N7 Blairstown PA
- Destination: 1N7 Bath PA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 18°F (-8°C), dew point 1°F (-17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from MPO, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.