- Date
- July 4, 1993, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Boynton Beach, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N29BWBerkshire Concept 70
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 25, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930704025159A
- Case key
- 33282
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 in-flight planning and the lack of adequate thermal lift.
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
After being towed aloft, the flight proceeded west to locate thermals which were reported to be good by another glider pilot. The flight was about 4-5 mi west of the departure airport, at 1,900 ft, when the pilot was unable to locate thermals and elected to return to the airport. While en route he encountered 'strong sink.' He then continued in what was described as 'mild sink', and he realized that he would be unable to land at the departure airport. He made a forced landing in the everglades. After touchdown, the glider ground looped and came to rest upright.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N29BW
- Reported as
- Berkshire Concept 70
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 14
- Airframe hours
- 739
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Willis, B.N.
- Registered owner
- Willis, B.N.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 26, 1992 · 27 hours before
- Airport
- 1X4 · Willis Gliderport
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
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 987 total · 6 in this make and model · 869 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PBI, 10 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.
Other investigations on N29BW · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.