Schweizer SGS 1-34R N1132S

Summary

On 27 August 1994 at about 18:10 local time, a Schweizer SGS 1-34R registered N1132S, operated by Birmingham Soaring Society Inc, was involved in an accident near Maylene, Alabama, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 August 1994 at 18:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Maylene, Alabama, United States

Coordinates

33.2204, -86.8708

Aircraft

Schweizer SGS 1-34R

Registration

N1132S

Category

Glider

Operator

Birmingham Soaring Society Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Montevallo → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL94FA166

1 person died.

THE PILOT EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT, RESULTING IN AN OVERLOAD FAILURE OF THE WING SPAR, AND SEPARATION OF THE LEFT WING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. A FACTOR WAS THE PILOT'S LACK OF TOTAL FLYING EXPERIENCE IN THIS MODEL OF AIRCRAFT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT WAS ON A LOCAL FLIGHT, ABOUT TWO MILES NORTHWEST OF THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. WITNESSES HEARD A LOUD NOISE, THEN OBSERVED A WING SEPARATE FROM THE GLIDER, WHILE THE GLIDER WAS MANEUVERING. THE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS FOUND IN A WOODED AREA, ABOUT 1,000 FEET EAST OF WHERE THE SEPARATED LEFT WING WAS LOCATED. FRACTURE EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT WING SPAR SHOWED EVIDENCE OF OVERLOAD. THERE WAS ALSO EVIDENCE OF HIGH G-LOADING ON THE WING SKIN AND SPAR CARRY THROUGH AREAS. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT HAD LOGGED 53 HOURS OF FLYING TIME IN GLIDERS (153 FLIGHTS). HE HAD FLOWN THE SGS 1-34R ON TWO OCCASIONS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, WITH A TOTAL FLIGHT TIME OF .8 HOURS. THE MAJORITY OF HIS FLYING TIME WAS LOGGED IN THE SGS 2-33.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.