Schweizer SGS 1 35 accident near Burnet, Texas, September 1, 2018
On September 1, 2018 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 1975 Schweizer SGS 1 35 (glider), registered N34107, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Burnet, Texas. It was a personal 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
The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear before landing and to use the Before Landing checklist.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 2018 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Burnet, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer SGS 1 35 Undesignat, built 1975 · all SGS 1 35s on the register
- Registration
- N34107 · registry record · serial 50
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot in the retractable-landing gear-equipped glider reported that, during flight, he could no longer find lift, so he selected a field for landing. During the approach, he did not use the Before Landing checklist, and he forgot to extend the landing gear. The glider landed on the lower fuselage and skidded across the grass surface before it collided with a barbed wire fence. The glider sustained substantial damage to the canopy, fuselage, and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Landing gear not configured during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,692 hours in all; 340 in this make and model; 2,650 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 20, 2016
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 989.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 18, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 793 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: TX23 Briggs TX at 6:00 pm
- Destination: TX23 Briggs TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KBMQ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 13, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.