Schweizer 2-33A accident near Heber City, Utah, March 8, 1994
On March 8, 1994 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Schweizer 2-33A (glider), registered N5790S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Heber City, Utah (Heber Valley Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S DELAYED/INADEQUATE REMEDIAL ACTION. FACTORS INCLUDE THE STUDENT PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, AND UNFAVORABLE/VARIABLE, GUSTY WINDS DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 8, 1994 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Heber City, Utah · Heber Valley Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer 2-33A
- Registration
- N5790S · registry record · serial 117
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE BEING TOWED DURING A TAKEOFF ROLL, THE DUAL GLIDER STUDENT WAS NOT ABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE TAKEOFF. HIS REMEDIAL ACTIONS WERE INADEQUATE TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT FROM DEPARTING THE RUNWAY, AND HE DID NOT INITIATE AN ABORT UNTIL AFTER THE GLIDER STRUCK A TAXIWAY MARKER.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 461 hours in all; 95 in this make and model; 62 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 420 as pilot in command; 142 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,291 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 4, 1993; 44 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,040 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 6,900 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 N5790S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 SEA94LA078.