- Date
- April 7, 1996, 15:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Inyokern, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7623Schweizer SGS1-34
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 20, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960407006069A
- Case key
- 29411
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 misjudged altitude while maneuvering in mountainous terrain. Contributing factors were: the pilot's inadequate in-flight planning and the lack of available thermal lift over the rapidly rising rough terrain.
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 pilot indicated that while soaring over a ridge he turned into a saddle area, and then he turned back toward the ridge. While performing these maneuvers, he encountered a high rate of sink. The pilot reported that he had not allowed sufficient height above the rapidly rising rough terrain to avoid impact.
Factual narrative
On April 7, 1996, at 1545 hours Pacific daylight time, a Schweizer SGS 1-34, N7623, operated by the Sierra Soaring Club and rented by the pilot, collided with terrain near Inyokern, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the personal flight, and no flight plan was filed. The glider was substantially damaged, and the private pilot was not injured. The flight originated from Inyokern at 1500.
The pilot indicated that the accident sequence began while soaring over a ridge. He stated that he turned into a saddle area near the Owens Peak, and then he turned back towards the ridge. While maneuvering, the glider encountered a high rate of sink. In the pilot's completed accident report he wrote the following statement: "I had not allowed sufficient height above the terrain, which was rising at approximately 20 to 30 degrees, to avoid impact."
The glider collided with the rapidly rising rough terrain. The pilot indicated that no mechanical malfunctions or failures were experienced during the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7623
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS1-34
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 3
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Sierra Soaring Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 30, 1995 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- IYK
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
- Unknown
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 78 total · 5 in this make and model · 38 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 225° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °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 N7623 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.