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20011003031879A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Let L 33 SOLO · Windsor, VA · October 3, 2001

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 3, 2001 · 13:00 local
Place
Windsor, VA
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N388BA
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC02LA027
Reported as
Let L33SOLO
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
236 total13 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days
N388BARegistration cancelled Aug 14, 2013 · Let L 33 SOLOS/N 010514 · Built 2001Airframe modelLet L 33 SOLOEngine modelNONENone

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.

(-23) On October 3, 2001, about 1300L, N388BA, a Let-L33 solo glider was spinning down from 4000' when a small battery charger, a foreign object, that was left in the cockpit became lodged in the rudder controls. The pilot was unable to recover from the spin, but finally got the rotation almost stopped. At that point, the glider was still diving at a high rate of speed, so the pilot pulled back hard, which resulted in heavy g-loading. After the recovery was effected, the pilot landed uneventfully. According to the safety officer of the soaring club that owned the glider, he was examining the glider in early November and noticed skin deformation. There was also paint missing from the rivet heads near the wing root. The aircraft was transported to a maintenance facility in south carolina. There it was determined that the wings were damaged beyond serviceable limits. On November 13, 2001, the soaring club met with the richmond FSDO and notified the FAA of the accident. (.4) the pilot completed a preflight inspection of the glider, including the cockpit area. After a tow release at 3,000 feet MSL, the pilot flew for about 1 hour. To descend, the pilot completed a spin to the right. He then induced a spin to the left, and heard a loud bang when an object struck the inside of the canopy. Then pilot then saw the object float forward and settle into the area where the rudder pedals were located. As he tried to apply opposite rudder, he felt a binding in the pedals. He had sufficient rudder authority to stop the spin's rotation; however, the airplane's dive angle and airspeed had increased significantly. The pilot "pulled back fairly hard" on the control stick, and as the airspeed climbed to 100-110 knots, he recovered the glider. The object that became entangled in the rudder pedals was subsequently identified as a transformer used for charging the glider's battery. The transformer was not normally used in the glider for recharging. It had been borrowed from another club member, and "someone" had used it to charge the battery via a long extension cord. The battery would have normally been disconnected, and put on a small transformer/charger in the club office.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON OCTOBER 3, 2001, ABOUT 1300L, N388BA, A LET-L33 SOLO GLIDER WAS SPINNING DOWN FROM 4000' WHEN A SMALL BATTERY CHARGER, A FOREIGN OBJECT, THAT WAS LEFT IN THE COCKPIT BECAME LODGED IN THE RUDDER CONTROLS. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER FROM THE SPIN, BUT FINALLY GOT THE ROTATION ALMOST STOPPED. AT THAT POINT, THE GLIDER WAS STILL DIVING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED, SO THE PILOT PULLED BACK HARD, WHICH RESULTED IN HEAVY G-LOADING. AFTER THE RECOVERY WAS EFFECTED, THE PILOT LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. ACCORDING TO THE SAFETY OFFICER OF THE SOARING CLUB THAT OWNED THE GLIDER, HE WAS EXAMINING THE GLIDER IN EARLY NOVEMBER AND NOTICED SKIN DEFORMATION. THERE WAS ALSO PAINT MISSING FROM THE RIVET HEADS NEAR THE WING ROOT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRANSPORTED TO A MAINTENANCE FACILITY IN SOUTH CAROLINA. THERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE WINGS WERE DAMAGED BEYOND SERVICEABLE LIMITS. ON NOVEMBER 13, 2001, THE SOARING CLUB MET WITH THE RICHMOND FSDO AND NOTIFIED THE FAA OF THE ACCIDENT. (.4) THE PILOT COMPLETED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION OF THE GLIDER, INCLUDING THE COCKPIT AREA. AFTER A TOW RELEASE AT 3,000 FEET MSL, THE PILOT FLEW FOR ABOUT 1 HOUR. TO DESCEND, THE PILOT COMPLETED A SPIN TO THE RIGHT. HE THEN INDUCED A SPIN TO THE LEFT, AND HEARD A LOUD BANG WHEN AN OBJECT STRUCK THE INSIDE OF THE CANOPY. THEN PILOT THEN SAW THE OBJECT FLOAT FORWARD AND SETTLE INTO THE AREA WHERE THE RUDDER PEDALS WERE LOCATED. AS HE TRIED TO APPLY OPPOSITE RUDDER, HE FELT A BINDING IN THE PEDALS. HE HAD SUFFICIENT RUDDER AUTHORITY TO STOP THE SPIN'S ROTATION; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE'S DIVE ANGLE AND AIRSPEED HAD INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. THE PILOT "PULLED BACK FAIRLY HARD" ON THE CONTROL STICK, AND AS THE AIRSPEED CLIMBED TO 100-110 KNOTS, HE RECOVERED THE GLIDER. THE OBJECT THAT BECAME ENTANGLED IN THE RUDDER PEDALS WAS SUBSEQUENTLY IDENTIFIED AS A TRANSFORMER USED FOR CHARGING THE GLIDER'S BATTERY. THE TRANSFORMER WAS NOT NORMALLY USED IN THE GLIDER FOR RECHARGING. IT HAD BEEN BORROWED FROM ANOTHER CLUB MEMBER, AND "SOMEONE" HAD USED IT TO CHARGE THE BATTERY VIA A LONG EXTENSION CORD. THE BATTERY WOULD HAVE NORMALLY BEEN DISCONNECTED, AND PUT ON A SMALL TRANSFORMER/CHARGER IN THE CLUB OFFICE.

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 NYC02LA027Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWindsor, VAThe pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in a loose battery charger becoming entangled in the rudder pedals during a spin recovery, and a subsequent overstress of the glider. Factors included the loose battery charger, and the non-standard…Oct 3, 2001 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N388BA · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20110817019129ALanding: Touchdown · Wakefield, VAThe glider pilot could not maintain altitude due to "sink" in the area. He elected to land in a bean field. Upon touchdown, the left wing contacted the bean crop causing a ground loop and subsequent damage to the aircraft.Aug 17, 2011 · Substantial damage