Schweizer 2-32 N242DB
11 October 1997 · Warner Springs, California, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 11 October 1997 at about 00:00 local time, a Schweizer 2-32 registered N242DB was involved in an accident near Warner Springs, California, United States. 3 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 00:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Warner Springs, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 33.2806, -116.5996
- Aircraft
- Schweizer 2-32
- Registration
- N242DB
- Category
- Glider
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX98FA007
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
the pilot's inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions after inadvertently encountering mountain wave and associated downdraft conditions. The obscuration and high/mountainous terrain were related factors.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The sailplane pilot departed on a 40-minute scenic flight. The sailplane was released from the airplane tow at 8,000 feet. According to passenger statements, they reached a height of 14,000 feet msl. They also stated that near the end of the flight time, the pilot descended through clouds. The sailplane collided with mountainous terrain about 6,000 feet msl. An ocean/atmosphere scientist glider pilot was flying the same area near the accident time. He stated that the day was dominated by powerful, yet rapidly changing lee wave systems, producing 10/20 knot updrafts and downdrafts in the coastal mountain ranges of the lower Southern California Bight. He stated that the lee wave structure is normally very steady and reliable. Based on about 1,800 hours of flying the wave, he believed that this unusual day was a 1 in 1,000 occurrence changing minute by minute. He stated that on three separate occasions, he encountered abrupt disintegration of a well ordered non-hydrostatic wave, which resulted in the immediate loss of 7,000 to 10,000 feet of altitude.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Schweizer 2 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1996 | Schweizer 2-33-A | Los Alamitos, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jun 1996 | Schweizer 2-33 | Union, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Feb 1994 | Schweizer 2-33-A | Dillingham, Hawaii, United States | Soar Hawaii, Ltd. | No injuries | - |
| 10 Sep 1994 | Schweizer 2-33A | Deland, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jun 1994 | Schweizer 2-33 | Waynesville, Ohio, United States | Caesar Creek Soaring Club | No injuries | - |
| 8 Mar 1994 | Schweizer 2-33A | Heber City, Utah, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Aug 1997 | Airbus A300 B4-203 | Los Angeles, California, United States | Pan American World Airways, In | No injuries | - |
| 15 Aug 1997 | Bell UH-1H | Tahoe City, California, United States | Usda / Forest Service | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 Oct 1997 | Cessna 152 | Julian, California, United States | Plus One Flyers, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Oct 1997 | Bellanca 7ECA | Tracy, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 Oct 1997 | Extra Flugzeugbau EA-300 | Castaic, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 27 Oct 1997 | Cessna U206B | Markleeville, California, United States | Reinhold J. Lukas | Fatal | 4 |