Schempp-Hirth CIRRUS accident near Bishop, California, August 12, 1992
On August 12, 1992 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Schempp-Hirth CIRRUS (glider), registered N7988, was destroyed in an accident near Bishop, 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 PILOT'S POOR INFLIGHT DECISION TO FLY OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AT AN INADEQUATE ALTITUDE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 1992 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bishop, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schempp-Hirth CIRRUS · all CIRRUSs on the register
- Registration
- N7988 · no longer on the register · serial 101
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CERTIFICATED GLIDER PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, DEPARTED FOR A LOCAL AREA FLIGHT WITH LIFT CONDITIONS DESCRIBED AS WEAK TO MODERATE. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 2 HOURS AFTER DEPARTURE IN AN AREA OF RUGGED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE LEFT WING OF THE GLIDER STRUCK A ROCKY RIDGE AND CAME TO REST ABOUT 300 FEET BELOW THE RIDGE LINE. OTHER GLIDER PILOTS REPORTED THAT THE ACCIDENT PILOT HAD A PROCLIVITY TO FLY OVER MOUNTAINOUS AREAS AT LOW ALTITUDES. A TOXICOLOGICAL EXAMINATION DISCLOSED THE PRESENCE OF A CARDIAC ANTIARRHYTHMIC DRUG. THE QUANTITY OF DRUG FOUND IS CONSIDERED TO BE AT THERAPEUTIC LEVELS. ACCORDING TO A CAMI PHYSICIAN, THE DRUG, IN VIEW OF THE PILOT'S PREVIOUS MEDICAL HISTORY, DID NOT BY ITSELF, PRESENT A DISQUALIFYING CONDITION THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN EXPECTED TO ADVERSELY AFFECT THE PILOT'S ABILITY TO PILOT A GLIDER.
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; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,971 hours in all; 66 in this make and model; 57 in the last 90 days; 39 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 294 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 3, 1992; 49 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,014 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BIH Bishop CA at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 100°F (38°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from BIH, 8 miles away
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 LAX92LA346.