NTSB DEN83FTE05 — 1983-01-06 · COLO SPRINGS, Colorado, United States

Current FAA registration · N36166

Make / Model: SCHWEIZER SGS 1-36
Year of manufacture: 1981 · 2 years old at event
Engine: NONE NONE
Seats / Engines: 1 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19810126
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A4134C

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N36166 Schweizer 1-36 None

Factual narrative

THE GLIDER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A PULLUP FROM A DIVE AT ALTITUDE. THE WING WAS RIPPLED AND BECKLED AND DAMAGED AT THE ATTACH POINTS. THE DIHEDRIAL HAD CHANGED FROM 6 DEGREES TO 8.5 DEGREES. THERE WAS ALSO UNMEASURED CHANGE IN THE SWEEPBACK. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE PILOT ACHIEVED THE AIRSPEED ESTIMATED FROM THE BAROGRAPH AT 146 MPH BY RETRACTING THE SPEED BRAKES DURING THE DIVE. MAXIMUM AIRSPEED IS 136 MPH FOR THIS GLIDER. THE PILOT DOES NOT RECALL THE PULLUP EXCEPT FOR NEGATIVE G'S AT THE TOP. POSITIVE G FORCES WERE ESTIMATED AT 10.5 TO 11. THE AIRCRAFT MADE A NORMAL LANDING AFTER THE FLIGHT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1983_DEN83FTE05.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

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NASA NTRS 2019 · Technical Memorandum (TM) Flutter clearance of the Schweizer 1-36 deep-stall sailplane

A Schweizer 1-36 sailplane was modified for a controlled, deep-stall flight program. This modification allowed the horizontal stabilizer to pivot as much as 70 deg leading edge down.