Sportavia-Putzer RF5B SPERBER accident near Warren, Vermont, July 16, 1983
On July 16, 1983 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Sportavia-Putzer RF5B SPERBER (glider), registered N55WV, was substantially damaged in an accident near Warren, Vermont (Warren/Sugarbush 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 1983 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Warren, Vermont · Warren/Sugarbush
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Sportavia-Putzer RF5B SPERBER RF5B SPERB · all RF5B SPERBERs on the register
- Registration
- N55WV · registry record
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE GLIDER WING ENCOUNTERED HIGH GRASS DURING LANDING IN GUSTY WIND. THIS WAS A MOTOR GLIDER AND THE LANDING WAS MADE TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY TO ALLOW ROOM FOR THE SOARING CLUB LANDING ON A PARALLEL GRASS STRIP TO THE LEFT OF THE MAIN RWY. DURING THE APPROACH A GUST OF WIND RAISED THE LEFT WING OF THE MOTOR GLIDER AND THE RIGHT WING CAUGHT IN SOME TALL GRASS BESIDE THE RWY. THE ACFT TURNED ABOUT 90 DEGREES AND CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. THE WINGS AND PROPELLER WERE 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: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,650 hours in all; 101 in this make and model; 1,548 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1983; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,499 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Limbach 1700 CC (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RUT Rutland VT at 2:30 pm
- Destination: OB7 Warren VT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 2,650 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 20 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°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 NYC83LA179.