Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Montague, California 96064
Friday, July 1, 1988 15:30 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING A PLEASURE FLIGHT, THE LAST TRANSMISSION BY THE PILOT STATED HE WAS GOING TO SEE WHAT THE GLIDER COULD DO BESIDES STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLIGHT. WITNESSES IN THE AREA REPORTED THAT THEY HEARD A LOUD POP AND OBSERVED THE GLIDER, MINUS THE LEFT WING, IN A VERTICAL DESCENT AND COLLIDE WITH THE TERRAIN. THE WING SPAR BROKE TWO FEET FROM THE ROOT. A METALLURGICAL TEST PERFORMED ON THE SPAR REPORTED THAT THE SPAR BROKE IN A POSITIVE (UP) OVERLOAD. POST ACC INVEST REVEALED THE ACFT WAS PLACARDED FOR PLT WT NOT TO EXCEED 166 LBS. THE REC PLT WEIGHED 210 LBS. A SCHWEIZER SERVICE BULLETIN RESTRICTS THIS SAILPLANE FROM AEROBATICS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/1/1988
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1530
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City MONTAGUE
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 96064
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
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) 40
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 29
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 14
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 50
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 15
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1576
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 1 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1900
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 37743
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 11:56AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N2726Z
NTSB Number LAX88LA247
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name SCHWEIZER
Aircraft Model SGS-1-26A
Aircraft Series Identifier SGS-1-26A
Aircraft Serial Number 245
Certified Max Gross Weight 575
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 1
Number of Engines 0
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 16 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 25
Airframe Hours 360
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name WEATHERS, TERRY M.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 9
Aircraft Owner City MONTAGUE
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 96064
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name MONTAGUE AVIATION
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address P.O. BOX 128
Operator City MONTAGUE
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 96064
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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1400
Departure Time Zone PDT
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 Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --