- Date
- February 20, 1986, 14:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hemet, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N24GWWhigham GW4A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860220004769A
- Case key
- 25271
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
During a tow operation, the plt of the tow plane stated that just after takeoff the glider assumed a very low tow position, then swung very high to the right then to the left. At aprx 250 ft AGL the glider plt released from the tow plane and executed a 180 deg turn back to the arpt. The tow plane plt turned to escort the glider when at an alt of 150 ft AGL the glider entered an 80 to 90 deg nosedown turn which was held to impact. A medical examination of the plt revealed that he had a history of heart condition and at the time of the accident experienced an arrhythmia associated with the most recent myocardial infraction. The plts record of flt time was not available or reported.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N24GW
- Reported as
- Whigham GW4A
- Category
- Glider, amateur-built
- Serial number
- #1
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Byron E. Beesley
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Airport
- HMT · Hemet-Ryan
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
- 65
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.