Event LAX94LA124

Factual narrative

On February 12, 1994, at 1545 Hawaii standard time, a Schweizer 2-33-A glider, N3622Z, drug a wing tip turning base to final and cartwheeled into the ground at the Dillingham airport, Oahu, Hawaii. The glider was owned and operated by Soar Hawaii, Ltd., of Honolulu, Hawaii, and was rented by the pilot for a local area personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the operation. The glider incurred substantial damage. Neither the certificated commercial pilot nor his one passenger were injured. The flight originated from the Dillingham airport on the day of the accident about 1515 hours. Ground witnesses to the accident reported that the glider entered the traffic pattern at a lower than normal altitude and appeared to be slow. The glider flew a normal length downwind leg and, while turning from base to final, stalled and drug one wing tip on the ground. The glider then cartwheeled into the ground. The pilot reported in his written statement that he encountered strong turbulence and downdrafts while on final approach. The glider then pitched nose down, rolled to the left, and impacted on the runway. GROUND WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT REPORTED THAT THE GLIDER ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AT A LOWER THAN NORMAL ALTITUDE AND APPEARED TO BE SLOW. THE GLIDER FLEW A NORMAL LENGTH DOWNWIND LEG AND, WHILE TURNING FROM BASE TO FINAL, STALLED AND DRAGGED ONE WING TIP ON THE GROUND. THE GLIDER THEN CARTWHEELED INTO THE GROUND. THE PILOT REPORTED IN HIS WRITTEN STATEMENT THAT HE ENCOUNTERED STRONG TURBULENCE AND DOWNDRAFTS WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH. THE GLIDER THEN PITCHED NOSE DOWN, ROLLED TO THE LEFT, AND IMPACTED ON THE RUNWAY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12