ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 70374
Last updated: 23 May 2013
This information is added by users of ASN. ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | 09-NOV-1986 |
| Time: | |
| Type: | Schweizer SGS 2-33A |
| Operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N7558 |
| C/n / msn: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Airplane damage: | Unknown |
| Location: | Sun City, AZ -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | |
| Departure airport: | |
WHILE ON A SOLO INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO FIND SUFFICIENT LIFT & DECIDED TO TURN BACK TOWARD THE AIRPORT FOR LANDING. DUE TO HIS LOW ALTITUDE, HE WAS NOT ABLE TO FLY A NORMAL PATTERN ENTRY. A DOWNWIND LANDING WAS ATTEMPTED; HOWEVER, BEFORE REACHING THE RUNWAY, OTHER AIRCRAFT WERE DEPARTING. THE PILOT PARALLELED THE RUNWAY STILL ANTICIPATING A NORMAL LANDING. WHILE TURNING TOWARD THE RUNWAY, THE GLIDER ENCOUNTERED AN ADDITIONAL LOSS OF ALTITUDE. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO LAND ON THE RUNWAY. HE ATTEMPTED TO GLIDE TO ANOTHER LANDING SPOT, BUT THE GLIDER'S LEFT WING TIP COLLIDED WITH A SAGUARO CACTUS ABOUT 250 TO 300 YARDS SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT HAD 1053 HRS OF FLIGHT TIME IN SINGLE ENGINE AIRCRAFT, BUT ONLY 11.9 HRS IN GLIDERS. ACCORDING TO FAA RECORDS, HE HELD ONLY A STUDENT PILOT CERTIFICATE.
Sources:
NTSB Identification: LAX87LA035
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Dec-2009 04:20 | DColclasure | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description