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19960810022099A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Let L13BLANIK · Shelton, WA · August 10, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 10, 1996 · 19:15 local
Place
Shelton, WA
Airport
Sanderson Field Airport
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N90865
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA96FA186
Reported as
Let L13BLANIK
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
40 total2 in this make and model2 in the last 90 days
N90865Registration cancelled Oct 5, 1999 · Let BLANIK L-13S/N 025726Airframe modelLet BLANIK L-13

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.4) After receiving a glider certification on 7/24/96, the pilot (plt) logged about 2.1 hrs in a Let L-13 glider, before flying it solo. The initial solo was the accident flight (flt) on 8/10/96. On this flight, the plt planned to be towed to traffic pattern altitude, then release the glider, enter the traffic pattern, & land. Release occurred about 3 mi southwest of the airport at 1,850 ft. airport elevation was 269 ft. witnesses said the L-13 entered a right spin about 5 to 10 sec after release & continued spinning until ground impact. To keep the center-of-gravity (CG) from exceeding the aft limit, a placard had been installed in the cockpit, indicating the minimum from seat solo weiaght to be 150 lbs. The L-13'S operating manual contained this & other info based on the L-13'S original weight & balance (w/b) configuration. The plt weighed between 128 & 135 lbs, & a single 25 lb ballast bag was found in the wreckage. However, after repainting & modification with a non-standard tailwheel, the glider's revised w/b data indicated the current minimum front seat solo weight was 181 lbs. Based on this info (kept in the operator's maintenance shop), the glider's c.g. was computed to be 1.4 inches behind the aft limit. The plt's personal copy of the L-13 operating manual did not contain the revised w/b data. Copies of the glider's operating manual were being sold to renters without this info.

As the FAA filed it

(.4) AFTER RECEIVING A GLIDER CERTIFICATION ON 7/24/96, THE PILOT (PLT) LOGGED ABOUT 2.1 HRS IN A LET L-13 GLIDER, BEFORE FLYING IT SOLO. THE INITIAL SOLO WAS THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT (FLT) ON 8/10/96. ON THIS FLIGHT, THE PLT PLANNED TO BE TOWED TO TRAFFIC PATTERN ALTITUDE, THEN RELEASE THE GLIDER, ENTER THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, & LAND. RELEASE OCCURRED ABOUT 3 MI SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT AT 1,850 FT. AIRPORT ELEVATION WAS 269 FT. WITNESSES SAID THE L-13 ENTERED A RIGHT SPIN ABOUT 5 TO 10 SEC AFTER RELEASE & CONTINUED SPINNING UNTIL GROUND IMPACT. TO KEEP THE CENTER-OF-GRAVITY (CG) FROM EXCEEDING THE AFT LIMIT, A PLACARD HAD BEEN INSTALLED IN THE COCKPIT, INDICATING THE MINIMUM FROM SEAT SOLO WEIAGHT TO BE 150 LBS. THE L-13'S OPERATING MANUAL CONTAINED THIS & OTHER INFO BASED ON THE L-13'S ORIGINAL WEIGHT & BALANCE (W/B) CONFIGURATION. THE PLT WEIGHED BETWEEN 128 & 135 LBS, & A SINGLE 25 LB BALLAST BAG WAS FOUND IN THE WRECKAGE. HOWEVER, AFTER REPAINTING & MODIFICATION WITH A NON-STANDARD TAILWHEEL, THE GLIDER'S REVISED W/B DATA INDICATED THE CURRENT MINIMUM FRONT SEAT SOLO WEIGHT WAS 181 LBS. BASED ON THIS INFO (KEPT IN THE OPERATOR'S MAINTENANCE SHOP), THE GLIDER'S C.G. WAS COMPUTED TO BE 1.4 INCHES BEHIND THE AFT LIMIT. THE PLT'S PERSONAL COPY OF THE L-13 OPERATING MANUAL DID NOT CONTAIN THE REVISED W/B DATA. COPIES OF THE GLIDER'S OPERATING MANUAL WERE BEING SOLD TO RENTERS WITHOUT THIS INFO.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB SEA96FA186Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportShelton, WAfailure of the operator to provide its pilots with information essential for an accurate determination of the glider's weight and balance, the resultant operation of the glider with a center-or-gravity that exceeded the aft limit, and the pilot's inadvertent…Aug 11, 1996 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N90865 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19790224007579IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Llano, CAGlider wing hit two metal poles while turning coasting off runwayFeb 24, 1979 · Reported as Let L13BLANIK · Minor damage