N2743Z

On July 22, 2007, a Schweizer SGS 1-26C (N2743Z) was involved in an accident near Windsor, VA. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to properly plan the approach to the airport, which resulted in an in-flight collision with a tree. A factor was the gusty wind conditions.

According to the pilot of the Schweizer SGS 1-26C glider, while returning from a local flight he realized that the glider did not have enough altitude to reach the airport. He identified a farm field to perform a forced landing to. While on approach to the field, and while gliding over trees, the glider was "hit by a gust of wind," and entered the tree tops while traveling about 50 mph. The left wing struck a large tree, turning the glider 180 degrees, before the nose pitched down and impacted the forest floor. The pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies of the glider, and reported that the winds were "very gusty" on the day of the accident.

This accident is documented in NTSB report NYC07CA172. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N2743Z.