Schweizer SGS 1-34 accident near Hemet, California, May 3, 1994
On May 3, 1994 at about 10:20 pm local time, a Schweizer SGS 1-34 (glider), registered N1163S, was destroyed in an accident near Hemet, California (Hemet-Ryan airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while maneuvering in the traffic pattern, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin. A factor in the accident was the pilot's low total flight time.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 3, 1994 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Hemet, California · Hemet-Ryan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer SGS 1-34 · all SGS 1-34s on the register
- Registration
- N1163S · no longer on the register · serial 63
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A ground witness observed the aircraft enter the traffic pattern for runway 22 at a slow rate of speed. The glider continued to slow down as it made a skidding flat turn from downwind to base. During the base to final turn, the witness saw the aircraft enter a two-turn spin and impact the ground nose first. An FAA airworthiness inspector responded to the accident site and reported that he did not find any mechanical discrepancies. The pilot was issued his private certificate with a glider rating on March 12, 1994.
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: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 106 hours in all; 86 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,355 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 29, 1993; 102 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 840 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sailplane Enterprises
The flight
- Departed from: HMT at 9:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 2,300 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N1163S 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.