Arlington SISU 1A accident near Borrego Springs, California, October 15, 1988
On October 15, 1988 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Arlington SISU 1A (glider), registered N252JB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Borrego Springs, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 15, 1988 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Borrego Springs, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Arlington SISU 1A · all SISU 1As on the register
- Registration
- N252JB · no longer on the register · serial 105
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE THERMAL SOARING, THE ACFT ENTERED A STEEP SPINNING DESCENT, THREE TURNS TO THE RIGHT FOLLOWED BY TWO TURNS TO THE LEFT AND GROUND IMPACT IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND OF AIRCRAFT STRUCTURAL FAILURE OR CONTROL MALFUNCTION. THE PILOT'S PARTNER IN OWNERSHIP OF THE GLIDER AND LONG-TIME CLOSE FRIEND STATED THAT HE HAD INADVERTENTLY ENTERED A SPIN IN THE AIRCRAFT SEVERAL YEARS EARLIER. HE INDICATED THAT HE HAD TROUBLE RECOVERING FROM IT, SPEED BRAKES WERE INEFFECTIVE AND HE COULD NOT RECOVER FROM IT UNTIL FLAPS WERE RETRACTED AND THE CONTROL STICK WAS PUSHED FULL FORWARD. ALTHOUGH THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND WITH THE SPEED BRAKES RETRACTED AND FLAPS EXTENDED ABOUT 10 DEGREES, BOTH SYSTEMS DISPLAYED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED WHAT THEIR PRE-IMPACT POSITIONS WERE.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,011 hours in all; 229 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,628 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, April 1, 1988; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 765 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L08 Borrego Spring CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 35 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N252JB the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 LAX89DUM01.