19980125003549A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Let L13BLANIK · Prescott, AZ · January 25, 1998

Date: January 25, 1998 · 12:00 local
Place: Prescott, AZ
Airport: Coyote Run Glider Port
Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N3463
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX98LA084
Reported as: Let L13BLANIK
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 223 total19 in this make and model1 in the last 90 days

N3463Registration cancelled Jan 18, 2018 · Let BLANIK L-13S/N 173921 · Built 1969 Airframe modelLet BLANIK L-13 Engine modelNONENone

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.

During winch tow. Veered off runway. Collided with parked vehicles. Let side bridle unhooked. No time to release tow. (-23) during the winch launch, the towline bridle became disconnected from one attach point. The assymetrical force pulled the glider to the left. The left wing struck a parked truck causing substantial damage to the wing, and terminating the flight.

As the FAA filed it

DURING WINCH TOW. VEERED OFF RUNWAY. COLLIDED WITH PARKED VEHICLES. LET SIDE BRIDLE UNHOOKED. NO TIME TO RELEASE TOW. (-23) DURING THE WINCH LAUNCH, THE TOWLINE BRIDLE BECAME DISCONNECTED FROM ONE ATTACH POINT. THE ASSYMETRICAL FORCE PULLED THE GLIDER TO THE LEFT. THE LEFT WING STRUCK A PARKED TRUCK CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE WING, AND TERMINATING THE FLIGHT.

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 LAX98LA084Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPrescott Valley, AZThe failure of the ground crew to correctly attach the tow bridle, which resulted in the pilot's loss of directional control.Jan 25, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N3463 · 1

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

Accident 19760228005209AFinal Approach · California Cty, CANewly graded taxiway across ldg area. Unmarked & unknown to ip.Feb 28, 1976 · Reported as Let L13BLANIK · Substantial damage