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19990817012689A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Let L13BLANIK · Perry, SC · August 17, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 17, 1999 · 15:00 local
Place
Perry, SC
Airport
Perry International Airport
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N7529
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA99LA227
Reported as
Let L13BLANIK
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
250 total50 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days
N7529Registration cancelled Mar 6, 2018 · Let BLANIK L-13S/N 025524Airframe modelLet BLANIK L-13

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.

Glider failed to produce enough lift during auto launch, the pilot attempted to make an emergency landing, one of the wings struck a tree, and the acft crashed, other circumstances are unknown. (-23) the aircraft failed to reach pattern altitude after an auto tow. The pilot elected to land in a field adjacent to the airport. Flaps were used instead of spoilers, resulting in a longer than normal ground run. The pilot struck the ground with a wing tip trying to avoid trees at the end of the field resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft. (.4) the glider was being launched by an automobile, and according to the pilot, '...lack of airspeed for adequate climb was generated and resulting release was low 100-150 feet.' The pilot performed a left turn 90 degrees because he did not have sufficent altitude to return to airport. He elected to land in a field adjacent to the airport. He said, 'I inadvertently deployed flaps instead of spoilers resulting in excess float.' Just before the end of the field he turned right to avoid trees. The right wing impacted the ground followed by the nose and left wing.

As the FAA filed it

GLIDER FAILED TO PRODUCE ENOUGH LIFT DURING AUTO LAUNCH, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING, ONE OF THE WINGS STRUCK A TREE, AND THE ACFT CRASHED, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (-23) THE AIRCRAFT FAILED TO REACH PATTERN ALTITUDE AFTER AN AUTO TOW. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND IN A FIELD ADJACENT TO THE AIRPORT. FLAPS WERE USED INSTEAD OF SPOILERS, RESULTING IN A LONGER THAN NORMAL GROUND RUN. THE PILOT STRUCK THE GROUND WITH A WING TIP TRYING TO AVOID TREES AT THE END OF THE FIELD RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. (.4) THE GLIDER WAS BEING LAUNCHED BY AN AUTOMOBILE, AND ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, '...LACK OF AIRSPEED FOR ADEQUATE CLIMB WAS GENERATED AND RESULTING RELEASE WAS LOW 100-150 FEET.' THE PILOT PERFORMED A LEFT TURN 90 DEGREES BECAUSE HE DID NOT HAVE SUFFICENT ALTITUDE TO RETURN TO AIRPORT. HE ELECTED TO LAND IN A FIELD ADJACENT TO THE AIRPORT. HE SAID, 'I INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED FLAPS INSTEAD OF SPOILERS RESULTING IN EXCESS FLOAT.' JUST BEFORE THE END OF THE FIELD HE TURNED RIGHT TO AVOID TREES. THE RIGHT WING IMPACTED THE GROUND FOLLOWED BY THE NOSE AND LEFT WING.

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 MIA99LA227Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPerry, SCan in-flight collision with the ground due to inadequate liftoff airspeed, and the pilot's improper use of flaps, which resulted in too low of an altitude to sustain flight.Aug 17, 1999 · Substantial damage