- Date
- July 2, 1988, 15:31 local (19:31 UTC)
- Place
- Hammonton, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N8619RSchweizer SGS 1-23H-15
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 10, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880702025339A
- Case key
- 35980
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 glider pilot's failure to avoid the stall/spin encountered during low altitude operation in the traffic pattern.
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 pilot was in a left traffic pattern for runway 3, when he realized the glider was too low. Reportedly, he tried to 'stretch' his glide. Subsequently, the glider stalled & entered a spin at about 500 to 600 ft AGL. The pilot initiated spin recovery procedures, but the glider crashed before he recovered.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8619R
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS 1-23H-15 (SGS 1-23H-)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 57
- Airframe hours
- 1,728
- Engine
- None NONE, unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William A. Miller
- Registered owner
- South Jersey Soaring Society
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 5, 1988 · 80 hours before
- Departed
- N81
- Destination
- N81
- Airport
- N81 · Hammonton Muni, runway 3, 3,004 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 250 total · 100 in this make and model · 200 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 31.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.