Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Pleasant Valley Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Peoria, Arizona 85382
Friday, April 7, 1995 16:00 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THIS WAS THE THIRD FLIGHT OF THE DAY IN THE SAME MODEL OF GLIDER FROM PLEASANT VALLEY. HE SAID HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND WAS OBSERVANT OF THE LOCAL WEATHER CONDITIONS. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, AFTER BEING TOWED TO 3,000 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL AND THEREAFTER FLYING BETWEEN 15 AND 20 MINUTES, HE ENTERED THE NORMAL LANDING TRAFFIC PATTERN. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TURNING ONTO THE BASE LEG, HE BECAME AWARE THAT THE GLIDER WAS 'LOSING A GREAT DEAL OF ALTITUDE.' THE PILOT FURTHER REPORTED THAT HE 'IMMEDIATELY TURNED AGAIN TO ANGLE SHARPLY TOWARD THE RUNWAY, RATHER THAN FLYING SQUARE BASE AND FINAL LEGS.' WITH INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO RETURN TO THE AIRSTRIP, AND WITH THE GLIDER DESCENDING RAPIDLY, THE PILOT MADE AN OFF-FIELD LANDING ABOUT 1/4 MILE EAST OF RUNWAY 21. THE LOCAL WIND WAS FROM 210 DEGREES, AT 10 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 16 KNOTS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's misjudged evaluation of the weather, and his inadequate compensation for the gusting winds and downdrafts.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/7/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1600 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | PEORIA |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85382 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | PLEASANT VALLEY AIRPORT |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | AZ05 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1600 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 32 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 210 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 16 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 316 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 19 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 730 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2000 4:12PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7758S |
| NTSB Number | LAX95LA164 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | SCHWEIZER |
| Aircraft Model | SGS 2-33A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | SGS 2-33A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 130 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1040 |
| Aircraft Category | Glider |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 19 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 6033 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BABOGIVARI SOARING SCHOOL, INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 8700 W. CAREFREE HIGHWAY |
| Aircraft Owner City | PEORIA |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 85382 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | TURF SOARING SCHOOL |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1540 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 23 |
| Runway Length | 4000 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |