Determined Pilot Helped Himself to Safety

William Blair, of Huntington Beach (CA), 77, clipped some trees Sunday, as he flew a bit close to Mount San Jacinto. His wife, unaware of just what had happened but aware of the glider's night-flying 'capabilities,' phoned in a missing persons report a quarter before midnight, and the search was on.

Blair, though, took charge of his own fate. With only bumps and bruises, he was able to hike out of the trees; he flagged down a car, and got a ride to the Idyllwild Ranger Station, whence he again contacted civilization. Blair had taken off 22 hours earlier.

The search, which had started at daybreak Monday morning, was then called off.

**   Report created 6/17/2003   Record 2  **
IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 34LB        Make/Model: ASW      Description: ASW200 GLIDER
  Date: 06/15/2003     Time: 2200
  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Minor     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Substantial
LOCATION
  City: IDYLLWILD   State: CA   Country: US
DESCRIPTION
  ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES IN A MOUNTAINOUS AREA, ACFT WAS SUBJECT OF AN ALERT NOTICE, ONE PERSON ON BOARD HIKED 22 HOURS TO SAFETY WITH MINOR INJURIES, IDYLLWILD, CA
INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:  1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   1     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
WEATHER: UNK
OTHER DATA
  Activity: Pleasure      Phase: Unknown      Operation: General Aviation
  Departed: UNK                         Dep Date:    Dep. Time:
  Destination: UNK                      Flt Plan: UNK          Wx Briefing: U
  Last Radio Cont: UNK
  Last Clearance: UNK
  FAA FSDO: RIVERSIDE, CA  (WP21)                 Entry date: 06/17/2003