Schweizer SGS 1-36 accident near Bishop, California, June 27, 2012
On June 27, 2012 at about 10:50 pm local time, a Schweizer SGS 1-36 (glider), registered N3617U, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Bishop, California (Bishop airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The glider’s encounter with insufficient atmospheric lift to maintain soaring flight, which resulted in an off-airport landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 2012 · about 10:50 pm local time
- Place
- Bishop, California · Bishop · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer SGS 1-36 · all SGS 1-36s on the register
- Registration
- N3617U · no longer on the register · serial 18
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, after 1.5 hours of soaring, he was en route to the airport when he encountered significant sink (loss of lift) and was forced to land in a pasture about 2 miles from the approach end of the runway. The glider sustained damage to its right wing tip and empennage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of lift during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Thermal lifting › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,800 hours in all; 17 in this make and model; 136 in the last 90 days; 51 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 28, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,284 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 5, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 710 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: KBIH Bishop CA at 9:26 pm
- Destination: KBIH Bishop CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 14 knots, gusting 31
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from KBIH, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 N3617U 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.