# Accident 19880807034989A: Scwzer SGS134, Kutztown, PA, August 7, 1988

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 7, 1988, 11:40 local time
- Place: Kutztown, PA
- Airport: Kutztown Aviation Service Inc
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.5194° N, 75.7695° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.5194&lon=-75.7695&mi=10
- Aircraft: N65920, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N65920-1990-07-20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Schweizer SGS 1-34 (registry code 8050146, https://openairdocs.org/model/schweizer-sgs-1-34) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: SCWZER SGS134
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 43 total, 1 in this make and model, 4 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC88LA206](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC88LA206) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880807034989A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

CANOPY CAME OPEN ON GLIDER TOW. FAILED TO HOLD POSITION BEHIND TOW PLANE. WAS CUT LOOSE AND HIT RUNWAY NOSE DOWN.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC88LA206](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC88LA206), Aug 7, 1988: Schweizer SGS 1-34 (N65920), Kutztown, PA, substantial damage. Probable cause: LOSS OF CONTROL DURING TAKEOFF AFTER THE CANOPY CAME OPEN. CONTRIBUTING WAS THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO PROPERLY CLOSE THE CANOPY PRIOR TO TAKEOFF.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.