# Accident 20000522006309A: Let L13BLANIK, Pensacola, FL, May 22, 2000 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 22, 2000, 14:00 local time - Place: Pensacola, FL - Airport: Costal Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 30.4410° N, 87.1912° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Pensacola, FL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.4410&lon=-87.1912&mi=10 - Aircraft: N90867, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N90867-2021-12-08) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Let BLANIK L-13 (registry code 1360306, https://openairdocs.org/model/let-blanik-l-13) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: LET L13BLANIK - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Student - Pilot flight hours: 46 total, 18 in this make and model, 8 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA00LA165](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA00LA165) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000522006309A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) DURING LANDING, STUDENT PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE TO CLEAR A FIVE FOOT FENCE ON THE SOUTH END OF THE LANDING STRIP. GLIDER BELLY AND LOWER RIGHT WING SPOINER CONTACTED FENCE WHICH ARRESTED THE GLIDER UPRIGHT 180 DEGREES FROM ORIGINAL HEADING. DAMAGE ARE: 1. HORIZONTAL TAIL RIPPED OFF. 2. VERTICAL TAIL SEPARATED FROM FUSELAGE ON R/H SIDE. 3. TAIL CONE AND SKID RIPPED OFF. 4. L/H WING WARPED FORWARD DUE TO G-LOAD DURING SUDDEN STOPPAGE OF GLIDER. 5. FUSELAGE WARPED ON R/H SIDE AFT OF WING. 6. R/H WING UPPER ATTACH POINT BENT DUE TO G-LOADS. 7. R/H LOWER SPOILER RIPPED OFF. 8. HOLE IN LOWER FUSELAGE AT LOWER L/H SIDE BELOW COCKPIT SPOILERS AND SPOILER CONTROL FOUND IN DEPLOYED POSITION. (.4) ON MAY 22, 2000, ABOUT 1400 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A LET BLANIK L-13, N90867, REGISTERED TO THE COASTAL SOARING ASSOCIATION, OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED WHILE ATTEMPTING A LANDING IN THE VICINITY OF PENSACOLA, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE GLIDER RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE STUDENT PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE SAME AIRPORT ABOUT 1 HOUR BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE MISJUDGED THE POINT AT WHICH HE SHOULD BEGIN HIS TURN FOR FINAL APPROACH TO COASTAL AIRPORT'S RUNWAY 36, AND AS A RESULT ENDED UP LOW AND SLOW SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. HE COLLIDED WITH A BARBED-WIRE AIRPORT PERIMETER FENCE, SHEARING OFF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND BENDING BOTH WING SPARS. ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT GLIDER PILOT, AS WELL AS HIS CFI W HO WAS OBSERVING FROM THE GROUND, HIS BASE TURN FROM THE DOWNWIND LEG WAS MADE AT TOO LOW AN ALTITUDE AND TOO LATE, RELATIVE TO HIS POSITION IN THE LANDING PATTERN, TO ALLOW FOR ARRIVAL AT THE RUNWAY WITH SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED FOR A SAFE LANDING. CONTRIBUTING TO THE LOW AND SLOW CONDITION ON FINAL APPROACH WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO REALIZE THE SPOILERS WERE STILL DEPLOYED. THE GLIDER COLLIDED WITH AN AIRPORT PERIMETER FENCE SHORT OF THE RUNWAY CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. ## 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 MIA00LA165](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA00LA165), May 22, 2000: Let L-13 (N90867), Pensacola, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The student's failure to maintain the proper landing pattern altitude resulting in an undershoot during landing and collision with a fence. A factor in the accident was the pilot's failure to realize… 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.