- Date
- July 30, 1983, 15:05 local (19:05 UTC)
- Place
- Warrenton, VA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3843ASchweizer SGS 1-23G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 5940
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
At an altitude of about 4,500 ft the glider was ovserved to pull up into a stall & enter a spin which continued for three turns. The glider came out of the spin into a left spiral & appeared to be traveling at a very high speed. The nose then 'tucked under' until the glider was inverted. What appeared to be a two to three turn inverted spin followed. The glider recovered from the spin & flew inverted for a short distance. It then appeared to roll upright briefly, but returned to the inverted position before impacting the ground. The flight manual which accompanied this acft advises 'the 1-23H or 1-23H-15 is aerobatic, but extreme cautions should be taken not to exceed placard speed. Pilots with no aerobatic experience should not attempt inverted or difficult maneuvers without an adequate amount of dual in such.' Under the topic of spins the manual also stated 'recovery is normal. Care should be taken not to dump stick too much as ship may go beyond vertical.'
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3843A
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS 1-23G
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 42
- Airframe hours
- 916
- Engine
- unknown OTHER 09, unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- National Captial Soaring Ass.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 7, 1983
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 140 total · 2 in this make and model · 118 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IAD