| DAILY NEWS FOR YOU AVIATION / SAFETY |
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Two Gliders Collided Over Upstate New York. One Pilot Died and the Other Landed Safely. |
| Investigators are examining a mid-air collision near Edinburg, New York, involving two high-performance sailplanes. One aircraft reached a nearby airport; the other crashed in remote terrain. |
| INCIDENT READOUT / EDINBURG, NEW YORK | | 2:26 P.M. / FIRST CALL | 1 PILOT KILLED | 1 SAFE LANDING | | |
| Two gliders collided in mid-air Friday afternoon near Edinburg in Saratoga County, New York, leaving one pilot dead and the pilot of the second aircraft uninjured. |
| New York State Police said they received the collision report at approximately 2:26 p.m. One of the gliders remained controllable and landed safely at nearby Plateau Sky Ranch Airport. |
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| MID-AIR
COLLISION | → | ONE GLIDER
STAYS FLYABLE | → | SAFE
LANDING | → | SEARCH FOR
SECOND AIRCRAFT | | |
| Search crews located wreckage from the second aircraft at approximately 4:54 p.m. in a remote area off Sand Lake Road. The pilot was the only person aboard and was found dead at the scene. |
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| AIRCRAFT 01 SCHEMPP-HIRTH
VENTUS-2B High-performance single-seat sailplane identified by the NTSB. | AIRCRAFT 02 SCHLEICHER
ASW 24 Another single-seat performance sailplane identified by investigators. | |
| IMPORTANT DISTINCTION INVESTIGATORS HAVE NOT SAID WHAT CAUSED THE TWO GLIDERS TO CONVERGE. No preliminary finding has identified a thermal conflict, ridge-soaring conflict, visibility problem, pilot action or equipment issue as the cause of the collision. | |
| The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have been notified. The NTSB is investigating the collision, while the FAA typically posts preliminary general-aviation information after the initial response. |
| WHY GLIDER SEPARATION MATTERS | | |
| FAA GUIDANCE / THERMAL FLYING COLLISION AVOIDANCE TAKES PRIORITY OVER MAXIMUM SOARING PERFORMANCE. FAA guidance says gliders sharing a thermal should circle in the same direction, maintain visual contact and avoid positions directly above or below another aircraft. | |
| LOCATE
LIFT | → | JOIN
CIRCLE | → | MAINTAIN
VISUAL CONTACT | SEPARATE | |
| Thermals are the most common rising-air source used by glider pilots. Because more than one sailplane can use the same thermal, the FAA's glider handbook gives detailed procedures for joining, circling and maintaining visual separation. |
| That guidance explains why mid-air separation is a recognized issue in soaring. It does not establish that the Edinburg accident occurred while either aircraft was thermaling. |
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| ESTABLISHED Two gliders collided in flight
One pilot was killed
One pilot landed safely
NTSB investigation underway | STILL OPEN Exact collision geometry
Pilot sight lines
Flight phase before impact
Probable cause | |
| THE SIGNAL THE SAFETY LESSON IS NOT YET WHY THESE TWO GLIDERS COLLIDED. IT IS THAT VISUAL SEPARATION IS A CORE PART OF SOARING OPERATIONS — AND THIS ACCIDENT WILL NOW TEST WHERE THAT SYSTEM BROKE DOWN. | |
| 03 | CORE NOTES What is known so far | |
| 01 | The collision occurred Friday afternoon near Edinburg, New York, not on Saturday when national coverage of the accident appeared. | |
| 02 | Investigators identified the aircraft as a Schempp-Hirth Ventus-2B and a Schleicher ASW 24; one pilot landed safely and the other was killed. | |
| 03 | FAA guidance makes collision avoidance a priority when gliders share lift, but investigators have not yet connected this accident to thermaling or any other specific maneuver. | |
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| SOURCES One Pilot Killed; Other Unhurt as Gliders Collide Mid-Air in Upstate New York — NBC New York
1 Killed After 2 Glider Planes Collide in Upstate New York — ABC News
Mid-Air Collision Investigation: Ventus-2B / ASW 24 — National Transportation Safety Board
Glider Flying Handbook — Federal Aviation Administration |
