# Accident 19990817012689A: Let L13BLANIK, Perry, SC, August 17, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 17, 1999, 15:00 local time
- Place: Perry, SC
- Airport: Perry International Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.6293° N, 81.3297° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at PERRY INTL (SC95), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6293&lon=-81.3297&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7529, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7529-2018-03-06) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Let BLANIK L-13 (registry code 1360306, https://openairdocs.org/model/let-blanik-l-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: LET L13BLANIK
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 250 total, 50 in this make and model, 25 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA99LA227](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA227) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990817012689A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 MIA99LA227](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA227), Aug 17, 1999: Let Blanik L-13 (N7529), Perry, SC, substantial damage. Probable cause: an 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.

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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