Schweizer SGS 1-26E accident near Marston Mills, Massachusetts, July 5, 1996
On July 5, 1996 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Schweizer SGS 1-26E (glider), registered N603MX, was destroyed in an accident near Marston Mills, Massachusetts (Marston Mills 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
failure of the pilot to maintain control of the glider while being towed during takeoff, which resulted in a pitch oscillation, failure of the tow cable, loss of airspeed, an inadvertent stall/spin, and an uncontrolled collision with the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 1996 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Marston Mills, Massachusetts · Marston Mills
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer SGS 1-26E · all SGS 1-26Es on the register
- Registration
- N603MX · no longer on the register · serial 603
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Several witnesses observed the glider as it was being towed during takeoff. They reported that after becoming airborne, it pitched up, down, and up again, in excess of 45 degrees, then the tow rope broke. The glider then entered a right turn and rolled into a 1-1/2 turn spin to the right. Subsequenlty, the glider impacted in a grassy area next to parked airplanes on the airport. The pilot was taken to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries the following day. No evidence of a preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction was found, and flight control continuity was confirmed.
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: 500 hours in all; 41 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 864 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 27, 1996; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 700 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2B1 at 5:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,700 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:45 pm from HYA, 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.
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.