Some gliders safer than others?

On Thursday, October 24, 2013 5:48:16 PM UTC-4, son_of_flubber wrote:
On Thursday, October 24, 2013 12:35:45 PM UTC-4, kirk.stant wrote:

I know of a passenger that broke an ankle in a stalled 2-33 crash that broke the plane in two (behind the wing trailing edge)...



I only have anecdotes wrt survivability of 2-33 crashes, but your anecdote seems pretty favorable. I'd be happy to simply break an ankle and hop away from the front seat of a stalled and crashed glider.

I was interested by this discussion and looked in the NTSB reports - if I am counting right, in the US, only one person has ever died in the back seat of a 2-33. Six people total have been killed, in five crashes. One of those who died was a suicide - no kidding, he actually left a note. No one has been killed in a 2-33 since 1978.

There have been 226 reported, non-fatal accidents. That makes 231 reported accidents total, with 2.16% being fatal.

on the suicide note subject. did that happen in Washington State?

GK



On Thursday, October 24, 2013 5:51:49 PM UTC-7, James Lee wrote:
On Thursday, October 24, 2013 5:48:16 PM UTC-4, son_of_flubber wrote:

On Thursday, October 24, 2013 12:35:45 PM UTC-4, kirk.stant wrote:



I know of a passenger that broke an ankle in a stalled 2-33 crash that broke the plane in two (behind the wing trailing edge)...







I only have anecdotes wrt survivability of 2-33 crashes, but your anecdote seems pretty favorable. I'd be happy to simply break an ankle and hop away from the front seat of a stalled and crashed glider.



I was interested by this discussion and looked in the NTSB reports - if I am counting right, in the US, only one person has ever died in the back seat of a 2-33. Six people total have been killed, in five crashes. One of those who died was a suicide - no kidding, he actually left a note. No one has been killed in a 2-33 since 1978.



There have been 226 reported, non-fatal accidents. That makes 231 reported accidents total, with 2.16% being fatal.

Brad, it looks like it was at Calistoga in 1975.

Brad,

I believe it was Hailey, Idaho (Sun Valley Soaring). I don't know the
year. I've just heard the stories. It happened before I got involved
in the sport.


On Thu, 24 Oct 2013 18:05:14 -0700 (PDT), Brad
wrote:

on the suicide note subject. did that happen in Washington State?

On Wednesday, October 30, 2013 5:28:20 AM UTC-7, Wayne wrote:
Brad,



I believe it was Hailey, Idaho (Sun Valley Soaring). I don't know the

year. I've just heard the stories. It happened before I got involved

in the sport.





On Thu, 24 Oct 2013 18:05:14 -0700 (PDT), Brad

wrote:



on the suicide note subject. did that happen in Washington State?



thanks for the reply Wayne and Bob. there was a suicide years ago in Wa State by an instructor. not sure about a note tho. he had a 2-33 but used a shotgun.

he was my primary instructor, learned in the 2-33 and always enjoyed it.

Brad

So flying a 2-33 actually drove someone to suicide? I can believe that.