Pleasant Valley Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Sun City, Arizona 85239
Wednesday, July 16, 1986 14:53 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE NEWLY CERTIFICATE SAILPLANED PILOT HAD TAKEN A FRIEND FOR A SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT. ON THE RETURN THE PILOT MADE A NORMAL APPROACH AND LANDING, THEN VEERED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND STRUCK A LARGE SAGUARO CACTUS. THE CACTUS TOPPLED AND FELL ACROSS THE FRONT COCKPIT OF THE SAILPLANE, CRUSHING THE PILOT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/16/1986
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1453
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City SUN CITY
Event State ARIZONA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 85239
Event Date Year 1986
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport PLEASANT VALLEY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1451 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 140
Weather Observation Facility ID PHX
Elevation of weather observation facility 1132
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 25
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
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) 38
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 16
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 140
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 13
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 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2278
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 16 1986 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1615
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 32934
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:14AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5448E
NTSB Number LAX86FA293
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Burkhart Grob
Aircraft Model A103 TWIN II
Aircraft Series Identifier A103 TWIN
Aircraft Serial Number 3871-K-112
Certified Max Gross Weight 1150
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 0
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Jun 8 1986 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 42
Airframe Hours 794
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name RAYLIN PRODUCTIONS, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 30 LINCOLN PLAZA
Aircraft Owner City NEW YORK
Aircraft Owner State NY
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 10023
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name ROY COULLIETTE
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address P. O. BOX 1586
Operator City PHOENIX
Operator State AZ
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 85029
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 1403
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 10:36AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 23
Runway Length 4000
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --