Schweizer SGU-2-22E accident near Hobbs, New Mexico, June 10, 1999
On June 10, 1999 at about 9:20 pm local time, a Schweizer SGU-2-22E (glider), registered N5823V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hobbs, New Mexico (Hobbs Industrial airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Pilot incapacitation (loss of consciousness) due to dehydration and hyperventilation. Factors were the turbulence and excessive workload (task overload) that induced anxiety/apprehension, and striking the sign and the pole.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 10, 1999 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- Hobbs, New Mexico · Hobbs Industrial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer SGU-2-22E · all SGU-2-22Es on the register
- Registration
- N5823V · no longer on the register · serial 199
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said his tow aloft had been 'fairly rough,' and he released at 2,000 feet, in turbulence, and ascended in a thermal to 5,000 feet. He was 'frustrated' by the turbulence, and was 'having trouble controlling the plane,' so he decided to land. He began to get 'frustrated and nervous' and started 'breathing really hard because [he] was scared.' He began to 'feel strange,' and his face and hands 'felt numb. . .like they had fallen asleep.' He began to see 'a lot of little dots,' and he 'passed out.' He regained consciousness just before striking a stop sign. He flew under some powerlines, then landed in a field, and struck a pole embedded in the ground. A physician said the pilot was dehydrated and had hyperventilated, causing the brief lapse of consciousness.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 9 hours in all; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 2 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,358 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 22, 1998
- Maximum gross weight: 900 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HBB at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from HOB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.