- Date
- July 16, 1986, 14:53 local (21:53 UTC)
- Place
- Sun City, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5448EBurkhart Grob A103 Twin II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860716033879A
- Case key
- 24928
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.
On ground/water collision with object
Object - tree(s)Factor
Directional control - not maintainedCause
Ground loop/swerve - uncontrolledCause
Analysis
The newly certificate sailplaned pilot had taken a friend for a sightseeing flight. On the return the pilot made a normal approach and landing, then veered off the left side of the runway and struck a large saguaro cactus. The cactus toppled and fell across the front cockpit of the sailplane, crushing the pilot.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5448E
- Reported as
- Burkhart Grob A103 Twin II (A103 TWIN)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 3871-K-112
- Airframe hours
- 794
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Roy Coulliette, doing business as Turf Soaring School
- Registered owner
- Raylin Productions, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 8, 1986 · 42 hours before
- Airport
- Pleasant Valley, runway 23, 4,000 × 150 ft, dirt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 46 total · 10 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Temperature
- 100 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PHX, 25 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.