# Accident 19980412006519A: Let L23, New Castle, VA, April 12, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 12, 1998, 18:00 local time
- Place: New Castle, VA
- Airport: New Castle International Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Go Round (Aborted VFR)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.4994° N, 80.1106° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.4994&lon=-80.1106&mi=10
- Aircraft: N55BR, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N55BR-2013-11-08) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Let L-23 SUPER BLANIK (registry code 1360308, https://openairdocs.org/model/let-l-23-super-blanik) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: LET L23
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Student
- Pilot flight hours: 38 total, 24 in this make and model, 4 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD98LA046](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98LA046) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980412006519A

## Narrative

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

LANDING LONG. PULLED UP TO FLY OVER TREES BUT REVERESED COURSE. STALLED. RIGHT WING HIT. GLIDER CARTWHEELED. (.4)ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT PILOT, HE HAD FLOWN THE GLIDER FOR ABOUT AN HOUR UNEVENTFULLY.  DURING THE LANDING, HE OVERSHOT RUNWAY 36 AND TRIED TO MAKE A 180 DEGREE TURN, BUT THE GLIDER STALLED, AND THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE GROUND. THE PILOT SAID THERE WAS NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WITH THE GLIDER, AND DURING THE APPROACH, HE HAD MISTAKENLY PUSHED THE DIVE BRAKE LEVER FULL FORWARD IN AN ATTEMPT TO FULLY OPEN THE DIVE BRAKES.  THE AIRSPEED HAD INCREASED AND HE WAS HALF-WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY WHEN HE REALIZED THAT HE COULD NOT MAKE A SAFE LANDING.                                                  (-23)PILOT HAD TO MUCH SPEED AND STILL AIRBORNE AT THE MID POINT OF THE RUNWAY.  HE PULLED UP TO FLY OVER TREES AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND DECIDED TO EXECUTE A 180 TURN.  THE AIRCRAFT STALLED, HITTING THE GROUND WITH THE RIGHT WING TIP WHICH RESULTED INA CARTWHEEL.

## 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 IAD98LA046](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98LA046), Apr 12, 1998: Let L-23 (N55BR), New Castle, VA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the turn to reverse direction. A factor was his improper use of the speed brake.

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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