I was able to do a search of the BGA database from 1987 to 1997 for
fatal injuries involving K13s, which I would guess play the equivalent
role in UK gliding. No fatal injuries in that 10 (or 11) year period.

It may be that basic trainers are "safer" than other gliders because
they are used for basic training, which might be less risky because
there is an instructor present or because basic training flying is
inherently less likely to result in an accident, or a host of other
reasons. It would be interesting to see if other countries have similar
data for their basic trainers.

I put "safer" in quotes because I'm not sure that the number of
fatalities is a useful measure of glider type - just as an example, I
think an instructor has a higher risk of serious back injury in a basic
trainer, through heavy landings, than in a Nimbus 4.


Jack wrote:
chipsoars wrote:

Searched Schweizer Gliders 6/26/2005 to 1/1/1968 on the NTSB database.

Fatal 2-33

06/10/78 http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=40460&key=0
04/01/77 http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=56645&key=0
10/06/75 http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=50592&key=0
07/02/72 http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=65574&key=0 (2 fatals)
12/12/71 http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=63260&key=0



Cites need URL's. I added them.

Previous searchs on "2-33" returned zero fatals, possibly because of the
haphazard way in which the aircraft model designation is entered into
earlier FAA/NTSB records. The info can be laboriously picked out of 67
returned records, after searching for "glider", "Schweizer", and
"fatal", as
'chipsoars' showed.

Another myth dispelled, but it doesn't mean that the 2-33 is not a useful
and relatively safe trainer.

On a search for "glider" and "fatal", 259 records are returned. Only
five in
2-33's, and none of those since 1978, is very good for a numerous type (371
current US registrations) that sees so much use in training.


Jack