- Date
- December 3, 1983, 12:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Black Canyon, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7740SSchweizer I-26D
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19831203059599A
- Case key
- 24112
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
The glider collided with a tree during a forced landing. The glider was being towed on a ferry x-country when they overflew an undercast. The tow plane started descent to penetrate the clouds expecting the glider to maintain tow and contact on the 200 ft line. The glider plt released and spun down through the overcast. He did this he said to prevent disorientation. He broke out at about 800 ft AGL and while landing in a pasture collided with a tree.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7740S
- Reported as
- Schweizer I-26D
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 440
- Airframe hours
- 319
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Baboquivari Soaring School Inc
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 1983 · 62 hours before
- Departed
- Aguila, AZ
- Destination
- AZ05 · Pleasant Valley, AZ
- Airport
- runway 61, grass/turf
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
- 49
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 745 total · 13 in this make and model · 693 as pilot in command · 146 in the last 90 days · 44 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 800 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 50 °F
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 N7740S · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.