Schempp-Hirth STANDARD CIRRUS accident near Briggs, Texas, September 10, 1988
On September 10, 1988 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Schempp-Hirth STANDARD CIRRUS (glider), registered N8083, was substantially damaged in an accident near Briggs, Texas (Faultless Flyer airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTIN SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED AS HE MANEUVERED TO RE-ALIGN THE GLIDER DURING FINAL APPROACH FOR LANDING. THIS RESULTED IN 45-60 DEGREE BANK ANGLE AT VERY LOW ALTITUDES, WHICH CULMINATED IN THE LESS OF CONTROL AND COLLISION WITH THE FENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 10, 1988 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Briggs, Texas · Faultless Flyer · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schempp-Hirth STANDARD CIRRUS STANDARD C · all STANDARD CIRRUSs on the register
- Registration
- N8083 · registry record · serial 153
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A WITNESS RPRTD THE GLIDER WAS LOW & SLOW AS IT WAS APPROACHING TO LAND. REPORTEDLY, THE PLT MANEUVERED THE GLIDER INTO A STEEP BANK TO ALIGN IT WITH THE RWY. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT CONTACTED THE TOP WIRE OF A FENCE NEAR THE APCH END OF THE RWY & CRASHED.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 158 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 101 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 807 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 12, 1988
- Maximum gross weight: 800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Unknown UNKNOWN (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW88DRG09.