Schweizer SGS-2-32 accident near Waialua, Hawaii, September 1, 2005
On September 1, 2005 at about 2:00 am local time, a Schweizer SGS-2-32 (glider), registered N414LF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Waialua, Hawaii (Dillingham Airfield). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadvertent spin entry while practicing a stall maneuver and his failure to regain control of the glider before impacting a lake.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 2005 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Waialua, Hawaii · Dillingham Airfield · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer SGS-2-32 · all SGS-2-32s on the register
- Registration
- N414LF · registry record · serial 095
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the pilot's intentional stall maneuver, the glider inadvertently entered a spin from which he could not recover prior to impact with a lake. While in a left turn of approximately 15 to 20 degrees of bank, the pilot configured the glider into a stall in an effort to demonstrate the maneuver to the passenger. The glider stalled with both the nose and left wing dropping. Despite the pilot's attempts, the glider did not recover from the stall and subsequently entered a spin. Attempting to recover from the inadvertent spin, the pilot applied a full-forward stick input and full rudder deflection opposite the direction of rotation. The pilot's recovery efforts were unsuccessful and the glider impacted a lake. The fuselage floated long enough for the pilot and passenger to get out and swim to shore. The glider then sank in about 200 feet of water. The pilot did not report any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 45 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HDH Waialua HI
- Destination: HDH Waialua HI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N414LF the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.