- Date
- September 23, 1997, 15:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Heber City, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7636Schweizer SGS 1-34
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 2, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970923028199A
- Case key
- 20355
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper use of spoilers during the landing sequence. Factors were the embankment and the fence.
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
According to the pilot, he 'entered the pattern on a 45 degree diagonal intercept to the downwind leg of a left-hand pattern approach to runway 21.' He stated that he used the spoilers on downwind, base, and final approach, but 'continued to float down the entire runway due to ground effect.' The glider's center wheel bounced on the runway 2 or 3 times before the aircraft overran the runway and impacted an embankment and fence. The pilot reported that 'it appears that the spoilers were not extended.' He stated 'it is possible that I was pulling on the spoiler engagement lever without depressing the button at the top of the lever which unlocks the spoilers.' The pilot reported to the Investigator-In-Charge that he has 340 hours of flight time in aircraft, of which 25 hours is in gliders. The pilot further reported that he has 53 flights in gliders.
Factual narrative
On September 23, 1997, at approximately 1545 mountain daylight time, a Schwiezer SGS 1-34 glider, N7636, was substantially damaged following a landing overrun at Heber Valley Airport, near Heber City, Utah. The commercial pilot, sole occupant in the glider, was not injured. The glider was owned by Utah Soaring Association, Salt Lake City, Utah, and operated by the owner under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal local flight which originated approximately 1 hour, 45 minutes before the accident. No flight plan had been filed.
According to the pilot, he "entered the pattern on a 45 degree diagonal intercept to the downwind leg of a left-hand pattern approach to runway 21." He stated that "I engaged the spoilers abeam the numbers on down wind." The pilot further reported that he used the spoilers on base leg and final approach, but "continued to float down the entire runway due to ground effect." The glider's center wheel bounced on the runway 2 or 3 times before the aircraft overran the runway and impacted an embankment and fence.
The pilot reported in the NTSB's Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (form 6120.1/2) that "it appears that the spoilers were not extended." He stated that "it is possible that I was pulling on the spoiler engagement lever without depressing the button at the top of the lever which unlocks the spoilers."
The pilot reported to the Investigator-In-Charge that he has 340 hours of flight time in aircraft, of which 25 hours is in gliders. The pilot further reported that he has 53 flights in gliders.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7636
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS 1-34
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 16
- Airframe hours
- 2,327
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Utah Soaring Assoc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 6, 1997 · 184 hours before
- Departed
- 36U
- Airport
- 36U · Heber Valley Airport, runway 21, 6,900 × 75 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 340 total · 5 in this make and model · 283 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N7636 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.