What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Let blanik L-13 glider was on final approach to rwy 13 when it collided in mid air with N9295H, a Cessna C-172 acft. (.19)on December 19, 1998, about 1311 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172M, N9295H, registered to a private individual, and a Let L-13 glider, N98KK, registered to mid Florida soaring association, collided while on final approach to the Okeechobee County Airport, Okeechobee, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for either flight. The cessca flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91, as an instructional flight and the glider was operating under the provision of 14 CFR part 91, as a personal flight. The Cessna was substantially damaged and the student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The glider sustained minor damage and the private-rated pilot, the sole occupant, also was not injured. The Cessna flight originated about 38 minutes earlier from the charlotte county airport, punta gorda, Florida. The glider flight originated about 8 minutes earlier from the Okeechobee County Airport. The Cessna pilot stated that when the flight was about 5 miles southwest of the destination airpor t, he announced his position on the UNICOM frequency and entered the traffic pattern on a left downwind for runway 13. At that time he observed the glider aircraft flying southeast bound. The Cessna flight continued then turned left base, announced this on the UNICOM frequency, when he heard the glider pilot announce that his flight was on a left downwind for runway 13. The Cessna flight turned onto final and he announced his position on the frequency. While on final approach about 500, he felt an impact on the empennage and realized he had no rudder control. He continued the approach, landed uneventfully, then taxied the airplane to the ramp. The vertical stabilizer was determined to be displaced to the right. The glider pilot stated that the flight was towed to 1,500 feet, released, then circled three to four times southeast of the field, to enter the traffic pattern altitude. He reported hearing another pilot announce that his aircraft was on the downwind leg for runway 13. He turned downwind, base, and final, announcing his intentions on the UNICOM frequency using a portable VHF transceiver. While on final approach to the grass runway which is located west of RUNWAY13 , he heard and felt an impact. He observed that the Cessna was pulling away to his left. He continued the approach and landed on the grass runway. Damage to the right bottom portion of the fuselage and scrapes to the left wing were noted. (-23) on December 19, 1998 at approximately 1329 EST a blanik Let-13-13 glider collided with a Cessna 172 aircraft on final approach to kobe airport. Both aircraft were on final approach, neither aircraft had sight of the other.
As the FAA filed it
LET BLANIK L-13 GLIDER WAS ON FINAL APPROACH TO RWY 13 WHEN IT COLLIDED IN MID AIR WITH N9295H, A CESSNA C-172 ACFT. (.19)ON DECEMBER 19, 1998, ABOUT 1311 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 172M, N9295H, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, AND A LET L-13 GLIDER, N98KK, REGISTERED TO MID FLORIDA SOARING ASSOCIATION, COLLIDED WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO THE OKEECHOBEE COUNTY AIRPORT, OKEECHOBEE, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR EITHER FLIGHT. THE CESSCA FLIGHT WAS OPERATING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91, AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT AND THE GLIDER WAS OPERATING UNDER THE PROVISION OF 14 CFR PART 91, AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE CESSNA WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE STUDENT PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE GLIDER SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, ALSO WAS NOT INJURED. THE CESSNA FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 38 MINUTES EARLIER FROM THE CHARLOTTE COUNTY AIRPORT, PUNTA GORDA, FLORIDA. THE GLIDER FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 8 MINUTES EARLIER FROM THE OKEECHOBEE COUNTY AIRPORT. THE CESSNA PILOT STATED THAT WHEN THE FLIGHT WAS ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE DESTINATION AIRPOR T, HE ANNOUNCED HIS POSITION ON THE UNICOM FREQUENCY AND ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN ON A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 13. AT THAT TIME HE OBSERVED THE GLIDER AIRCRAFT FLYING SOUTHEAST BOUND. THE CESSNA FLIGHT CONTINUED THEN TURNED LEFT BASE, ANNOUNCED THIS ON THE UNICOM FREQUENCY, WHEN HE HEARD THE GLIDER PILOT ANNOUNCE THAT HIS FLIGHT WAS ON A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 13. THE CESSNA FLIGHT TURNED ONTO FINAL AND HE ANNOUNCED HIS POSITION ON THE FREQUENCY. WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH ABOUT 500, HE FELT AN IMPACT ON THE EMPENNAGE AND REALIZED HE HAD NO RUDDER CONTROL. HE CONTINUED THE APPROACH, LANDED UNEVENTFULLY, THEN TAXIED THE AIRPLANE TO THE RAMP. THE VERTICAL STABILIZER WAS DETERMINED TO BE DISPLACED TO THE RIGHT. THE GLIDER PILOT STATED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS TOWED TO 1,500 FEET, RELEASED, THEN CIRCLED THREE TO FOUR TIMES SOUTHEAST OF THE FIELD, TO ENTER THE TRAFFIC PATTERN ALTITUDE. HE REPORTED HEARING ANOTHER PILOT ANNOUNCE THAT HIS AIRCRAFT WAS ON THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR RUNWAY 13. HE TURNED DOWNWIND, BASE, AND FINAL, ANNOUNCING HIS INTENTIONS ON THE UNICOM FREQUENCY USING A PORTABLE VHF TRANSCEIVER. WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO THE GRASS RUNWAY WHICH IS LOCATED WEST OF RUNWAY13 , HE HEARD AND FELT AN IMPACT. HE OBSERVED THAT THE CESSNA WAS PULLING AWAY TO HIS LEFT. HE CONTINUED THE APPROACH AND LANDED ON THE GRASS RUNWAY. DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT BOTTOM PORTION OF THE FUSELAGE AND SCRAPES TO THE LEFT WING WERE NOTED. (-23) ON DECEMBER 19, 1998 AT APPROXIMATELY 1329 EST A BLANIK LET-13-13 GLIDER COLLIDED WITH A CESSNA 172 AIRCRAFT ON FINAL APPROACH TO KOBE AIRPORT. BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE ON FINAL APPROACH, NEITHER AIRCRAFT HAD SIGHT OF THE OTHER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.