Schweizer 1-35C accident near Wickenburg, Arizona, August 15, 1993
On August 15, 1993 at about 10:35 pm local time, a Schweizer 1-35C (glider), registered N2562H, was destroyed in an accident near Wickenburg, Arizona. 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
the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed margin while maneuvering to land, resulting in an inadvertent stall/spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 15, 1993 · about 10:35 pm local time
- Place
- Wickenburg, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer 1-35C
- Registration
- N2562H · no longer on the register · serial 62
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Several gliders were participating in an 80 mile round trip endurance competition and many of the pilots reported turning back early and landing at the gliderport, while others stated that they were forced to make off airport landings in the desert due to unfavorable conditions. The pilot noted that a good altitude margin was maintained during the flight outbound toward the goal until reaching an area about 12 miles west of Wickenburg. The pilot began to experience heavy sink and he decided to turn around and head for the Wickenburg airport. The pilot stated that his altitude continued to deteriorate to the point where the airport at Wickenburg was no longer reachable and an off airport landing in the desert was the only option. The pilot said he found a suitable landing area but had to maneuver on final approach to avoid a set of power lines. The pilot said that during the maneuver the glider stalled, entered a spin to the right and impacted nose first.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,372 hours in all; 115 in this make and model; 71 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 1,311 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 660 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AZ05 Paradise Valley AZ at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 100°F (38°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.
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.