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LAX87LA287

1987-07-13 · MARICOPA, Arizona, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport E-68

N103BG has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (NIKI ROTOR AVIATION LTD KALLITHEA, built 2024), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

THE PLT RPRTD THAT AFTER GLIDING IN A SINK FOR SVRL MINUTES, HE BEGAN FLYING ABOUT 500' ABOVE A NORTH-SOUTH MTN RIDGE IN SEARCH OF LIFT. WHILE ON A NORTHERLY HEADING, THE LEFT WING ROSE & THE PLT INTERPRETED THIS AS LIFT. HE TURNED TO THE LEFT (WEST) WHICH PUT THE GLIDER ON THE LEE SIDE OF THE RIDGE. THE GLIDER THEN ENTERED A SINK & WENT BELOW THE RIDGE LINE. THE PLT TRADED ALT FOR SPEED AS HE HEADED TOWARD THE SAILPORT. RPRTDLY, THE GLIDER WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 100 KTS WHEN A WING HIT A TALL (TREE LIKE) CACTUS & THEN THE GLIDER CRASHED. ABOUT 15 MI AWAY AT PHOENIX, THE WIND WAS FROM 120 DEG AT 6 KTS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1987_LAX87LA287.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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