Schweizer SGS-1-35 accident near Maricopa, Arizona, April 28, 1998
On April 28, 1998 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Schweizer SGS-1-35 (glider), registered N34187, was substantially damaged in an accident near Maricopa, Arizona (Maricopa airport). 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 loss of control in flight for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 1998 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Maricopa, Arizona · Maricopa
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer SGS-1-35 · all SGS-1-35s on the register
- Registration
- N34187 · no longer on the register · serial 47
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot towing the glider reported that after takeoff, the glider veered to the right. The tow plane yawed hard to the left and the towrope snapped while at an altitude of approximately 700 feet agl. Witnesses reported that as the glider pilot attempted to return to the airport to land, it impacted a ditch that ran between the two runways. Rescue workers reported that the pilot was incoherent and they suspected that he had suffered a stroke. One witness reported that the pilot had medical problems that prohibited him from flying more than 2 hours at a time. The pilot did not possess a medical certificate, nor is he required to. The pilot spent approximately 1 month in the hospital and has no memory of the accident. His wife was unable to find any aircraft or pilot logbooks. The pilot's family sold the glider and no further examination was possible.
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: 1,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 840 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 3,740 ft by 20 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:09 pm from CGZ, 18 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.
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.