19980421007399A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Let L23SUPERBLAN · Pipersville, PA · April 21, 1998

Date: April 21, 1998 · 14:20 local
Place: Pipersville, PA
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N298BA
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC98LA097
Reported as: Let L23SUPERBLAN
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,200 total50 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days

N298BARegistration cancelled Jun 18, 1999 · Let L-23 SUPER BLANIKS/N 968215 Airframe modelLet L-23 SUPER BLANIK

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.

Lost sight of airport. Tried for an open area. Stalled. Hit a tree and side of a barn. (-23) Mr. Summa, the PIC of glider N298BA, stated after soaring for approximately two hours, he lost sight of van sant airport, got lower and lower looking for a field to land in, and slowed the glider. In a panic he stalled the glider, which hit a tree, careened and hit the side of a barn and impacted the ground. The glider sustained substantial damage; Mr. Summa fractured his leg; and the passenger was uninjured. (.4) the pilot had been soaring for approximately 2 hours when he lost sight of his intended landing site. As he lost altitude, he continued to slow the glider while looking for a field to land in. Just prior to touch down, he stalled the glider, which struck a tree, then hit the side of a barn before coming to rest up right.

As the FAA filed it

LOST SIGHT OF AIRPORT. TRIED FOR AN OPEN AREA. STALLED. HIT A TREE AND SIDE OF A BARN. (-23) MR. SUMMA, THE PIC OF GLIDER N298BA, STATED AFTER SOARING FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS, HE LOST SIGHT OF VAN SANT AIRPORT, GOT LOWER AND LOWER LOOKING FOR A FIELD TO LAND IN, AND SLOWED THE GLIDER. IN A PANIC HE STALLED THE GLIDER, WHICH HIT A TREE, CAREENED AND HIT THE SIDE OF A BARN AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE GLIDER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE; MR. SUMMA FRACTURED HIS LEG; AND THE PASSENGER WAS UNINJURED. (.4) THE PILOT HAD BEEN SOARING FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS WHEN HE LOST SIGHT OF HIS INTENDED LANDING SITE. AS HE LOST ALTITUDE, HE CONTINUED TO SLOW THE GLIDER WHILE LOOKING FOR A FIELD TO LAND IN. JUST PRIOR TO TOUCH DOWN, HE STALLED THE GLIDER, WHICH STRUCK A TREE, THEN HIT THE SIDE OF A BARN BEFORE COMING TO REST UP RIGHT.

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 NYC98LA097Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPipersville, PAthe pilot's misjudgment of distance and altitude, while on an approach to an off-airport landing area, which resulted in a lack of airspeed and/or altitude to reach the intended landing area (undershoot), a stall or mush into tree(s), and collision with a…Apr 21, 1998 · Substantial damage