Schweizer SGS 1-34 N7631
1 August 1998 · Pensacola, Florida, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 1 August 1998 at about 18:15 local time, a Schweizer SGS 1-34 registered N7631 was involved in an accident near Pensacola, Florida, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 18:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Pensacola, Florida, United States
- Nearest airport
- Coastal Airport (83J)
- Coordinates
- 30.5004, -87.3708
- Aircraft
- Schweizer SGS 1-34
- Registration
- N7631
- Category
- Glider
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- MIA98LA218
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain a proper sink rate during an emergency landing resulting in impact with trees and subsequent stall and impact with the terrain.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot stated that the glider was about 100 feet above ground level, and attached to the tow airplane when the canopy suddenly opened. He climbed to 200 feet, released the towrope, and made a 180-degree left turn to return to the airport. As he cleared a wooded area before the runway, he noticed that his sink rate was too high. He pulled up, but his right wingtip brushed the top of a tree. The airplane stalled and crashed about 300 feet short of the runway. According to the pilot, the canopy's latching mechanism did not reveal any malfunctions during preflight or postcrash examination.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Schweizer SGS-1 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Apr 1998 | Schweizer SGS-1-35 | Maricopa, Arizona, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 Jul 1997 | Schweizer SGS-1-26B | Eustis, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Aug 1997 | Schweizer SGS 1-26E | Zionsville, Indiana, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Sep 1997 | Schweizer SGS 1-34 | Heber City, Utah, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Nov 1999 | Schweizer SGS-1-34 | East Lynne, Missouri, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 20 Mar 1997 | Schweizer SGS 1-26E | Benton, Tennessee, United States | Wendylene, Inc. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Aug 1998 | Cessna 172F | Spring Hill, Florida, United States | Barrett A. Bailey | No injuries | - |
| 1 Sep 1998 | Cessna 172G | Leesburg, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 May 1998 | Gulfstream American 690C | Jacksonville, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 May 1998 | Mohr SKYBOLT | Lakeland, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 May 1998 | Bell 47G | Bunnell, Florida, United States | Wing and Rotor International | No injuries | - |
| 27 May 1998 | Beechcraft 95 | Jacksonville, Florida, United States | RAY T. Hanselman | Minor injuries | - |