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| Date: | Wednesday 12 August 1992 |
| Time: | 14:30 LT |
| Type: | Schempp-Hirth Cirrus |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N7988 |
| MSN: | 101 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 294 hours |
| Engine model: | ALLISON%20250-C20B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Bishop, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Bishop, CA (KBIH) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
THE CERTIFICATED GLIDER PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, DEPARTED FOR A LOCAL AREA FLIGHT WITH LIFT CONDITIONS DESCRIBED AS WEAK TO MODERATE. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 2 HOURS AFTER DEPARTURE IN AN AREA OF RUGGED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE LEFT WING OF THE GLIDER STRUCK A ROCKY RIDGE AND CAME TO REST ABOUT 300 FEET BELOW THE RIDGE LINE. OTHER GLIDER PILOTS REPORTED THAT THE ACCIDENT PILOT HAD A PROCLIVITY TO FLY OVER MOUNTAINOUS AREAS AT LOW ALTITUDES. A TOXICOLOGICAL EXAMINATION DISCLOSED THE PRESENCE OF A CARDIAC ANTIARRHYTHMIC DRUG. THE QUANTITY OF DRUG FOUND IS CONSIDERED TO BE AT THERAPEUTIC LEVELS. ACCORDING TO A CAMI PHYSICIAN, THE DRUG, IN VIEW OF THE PILOT'S PREVIOUS MEDICAL HISTORY, DID NOT BY ITSELF, PRESENT A DISQUALIFYING CONDITION THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN EXPECTED TO ADVERSELY AFFECT THE PILOT'S ABILITY TO PILOT A GLIDER.
Probable Cause: THE PILOT'S POOR INFLIGHT DECISION TO FLY OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AT AN INADEQUATE ALTITUDE.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX92LA346
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 28-Oct-2009 03:41 | DColclasure | Updated |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ] |
| 10-Apr-2024 18:42 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report, ] |
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