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Pilot Killed in Upstate New York Midair Glider Collision

One pilot landed safely after two gliders hit each other en route to Piseco Airport.

NTSB website [Credit: Shutterstock]
NTSB website [Credit: Shutterstock]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A midair collision between two gliders in upstate New York on Friday afternoon resulted in the death of 80-year-old pilot James Morzillo.
  • The accident occurred when Morzillo's Schempp-Hirth Ventus-2B glider's left wing struck the nose of a Schleicher ASW 24 glider, whose pilot was uninjured and landed safely.
  • Federal agencies, including the NTSB and FAA, along with New York State Police, are investigating the incident.
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Federal officials are investigating a midair collision between two gliders in upstate New York that killed one of the pilots. The accident happened Friday around 3:15 p.m. EDT.

New York State Police have identified the dead pilot as James Morzillo, 80, of Saratoga Springs, New York. 

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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