# Accident 19990828025349A: Let L33SOLO, Wellington, OH, August 28, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 28, 1999, 13:45 local time - Place: Wellington, OH - Airport: Botsford Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 41.1604° N, 82.2199° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.1604&lon=-82.2199&mi=10 - Aircraft: N286BA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N286BA-2011-07-14) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Let L 33 SOLO (registry code 1360309, https://openairdocs.org/model/let-l-33-solo) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: LET L33SOLO - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 460 total, 13 in this make and model - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC99LA215](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99LA215) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990828025349A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON AUGUST 28, 1999, ABOUT 1345 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A LET L-33-SOLO, N286BA, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHILE LANDING AT THE BOTSFORD AIRPORT (67D), WELLINGTON, OHIO. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR THE GLIDER WAS TOWED FROM 67D TO 2,000 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND RELEASED. THE PILOT THEN FLEW THE GLIDER TO THE BASE OF A CLOUD SEARCHING FOR A THERMAL, WHEN HE STARTED TO FEEL A DOWN DRAFT. THE GLIDER BEGAN TO DESCEND AT A RATE OF 600 FEET PER MINUTE, AND THE PILOT DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. AN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 36, A 2,850 FOOT LONG GRASS RUNWAY, WAS PERFORMED. THE GLIDER CLEARED MARKED WIRES THAT WERE LOCATED AT THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY, AND TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 100 FEET PRIOR TO A MOWED GRASS RUNWAY AREA. THE TOUCH DOWN SITE WAS COMPOSED OF 18-INCH TALL CLOVER AND WEEDS. THE RIGHT WING DUG INTO THE GROUND, ROTATING THE GLIDER 180 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT. DURING THE ROTATION, THE TAIL SECTION OF THE GLIDER CONTACTED THE GROUND, BUCKLING THE FUSELAGE. THE GLID CR CAME TO REST UPRIGHT, FACING SOUTH. THE WEATHER REPORTED AT AN AIRPORT LOCATED 20 MILES TO THE NORTHEAST, AT 1354 WAS, WINDS FROM 270 DEGREES AT 9 KNOTS, 6 MILES OF VISIBILITY WITH HAZE, FEW CLOUDS AT 3,800 FEET, SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 13,000 FEET, BROKEN LAYER OF CLOUDS AT 25,000 FEET. THE TEMPERATURE WAS 82 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. (.4)THE GLIDER WAS TOWED TO AN ALTITUDE OF 2,000 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, AND RELEASED. THE PILOT THEN FLEW THE GLIDER TO THE BASE OF A CLOUD IN SEARCH OF A THERMAL. WHEN THE PILOT DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT, HE EXPERIENCED A DOWNDRAFT OF ABOUT 600 FEET PER MINUTE, WHICH DESCENDED THE GLIDER TO AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 950 FEET. THE PILOT RECALLED THAT THE NORMAL SINK RATE FOR THE GLIDER WAS ABOUT 150 FEET PER MINUTE. AS THE GLIDER WAS LANDING, IT CLEARED MARKED WIRES THAT WERE LOCATED AT THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY, AND TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 100 FEET PRIOR TO A MOWED GRASS RUNWAY AREA. (-23)AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED EXCESSIVE DOWN DRAFT. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT HOMEFILED, LANDING APPROX 100' SHORT OF MOWED GRASS RUNWAY. DUE TO LOW PROFILE OF AIRCRAFT, THE RT WING STRUCK TALL WEEDS AND CLOVER, CAUSING THE A/ C TO GROUND LOOP 180, DAMAGING THE RT WING AND FUSELAGE AFT OF THE COCKPIT CANOPY. ## 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 NYC99LA215](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99LA215), Aug 28, 1999: Let L-33-SOLO (N286BA), Wellington, OH, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point. A factor related to the accident was a downdraft. ## Other reports on N286BA (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20110410006649A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110410006649A), Apr 10, 2011: Let L 33 SOLO (N286BA), New Castle, VA, Destroyed, 1 fatal. The pilot was being towed aloft and, according to witnesses, the flight path was irratic. At an altidude of 300 feet AGL and .25 miles from the glider Port,… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.