# Accident 19960810022099A: Let L13BLANIK, Shelton, WA, August 10, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 10, 1996, 19:15 local time
- Place: Shelton, WA
- Airport: Sanderson Field Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 47.2294° N, 123.2010° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.2294&lon=-123.2010&mi=10
- Aircraft: N90865, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N90865-1999-10-05) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Let BLANIK L-13 (registry code 1360306, https://openairdocs.org/model/let-blanik-l-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: LET L13BLANIK
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 40 total, 2 in this make and model, 2 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA96FA186](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA96FA186) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960810022099A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB SEA96FA186](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA96FA186), Aug 11, 1996: Let L-13 (N90865), Shelton, WA, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: failure 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…

## Other reports on N90865 (1)

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

- [Incident 19790224007579I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19790224007579I), Feb 24, 1979: Let L13BLANIK (N90865), Llano, CA, Minor damage. Glider wing hit two metal poles while turning coasting off runway

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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