OpenAirDocs.org

20011104031179I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Let L23 · Tucson, AZ · November 4, 2001

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
November 4, 2001 · 11:15 local
Place
Tucson, AZ
Airport
El Tiro Gliderport
Phase of flight
Missed Approach IFR
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N271BA
Reported as
Let L23
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
565 total30 in this make and model4 in the last 90 days
N271BARegistered now · Let L-23 SUPER BLANIKS/N 948112 · Built 1994Airframe modelLet L-23 SUPER BLANIKEngine 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) During an instructional flight a blanic Let 23 had experienced a hard landing at el Tiro sailport. The aircraft received minor damage and the student in the front seat received a minor injury. It was the second flight for this student and the winds were approx. 17 KTS gusting 20 KTS. Coming from the south southeast which would favor runway 17 which was in use. The wind were within the demonstrated crosswind parameters for this glider. The student had made a normal left pattern downwind entry but he Let the aircraft drift too FAR on downwind before making his turn to base for the wind conditions. The instructor had stated that he felt that he Let the situation progress too FAR before taking control. By the time the flight instructor had taken over too much distance and altitude had been lost for a normal pattern. The flight instructor stated that he closed the spoilers and pointed the nose down. He just cleared the perimeter fence and struck the front edge of the runway with the front skid plate of the glider. The skid plate in mounted just below the front seat and the student received a jolt to his back and had the wind knocked out of him. EMS was called but he refused treatment at the scene.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT A BLANIC LET 23 HAD EXPERIENCED A HARD LANDING AT EL TIRO SAILPORT. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE AND THE STUDENT IN THE FRONT SEAT RECEIVED A MINOR INJURY. IT WAS THE SECOND FLIGHT FOR THIS STUDENT AND THE WINDS WERE APPROX. 17 KTS GUSTING 20 KTS. COMING FROM THE SOUTH SOUTHEAST WHICH WOULD FAVOR RUNWAY 17 WHICH WAS IN USE. THE WIND WERE WITHIN THE DEMONSTRATED CROSSWIND PARAMETERS FOR THIS GLIDER. THE STUDENT HAD MADE A NORMAL LEFT PATTERN DOWNWIND ENTRY BUT HE LET THE AIRCRAFT DRIFT TOO FAR ON DOWNWIND BEFORE MAKING HIS TURN TO BASE FOR THE WIND CONDITIONS. THE INSTRUCTOR HAD STATED THAT HE FELT THAT HE LET THE SITUATION PROGRESS TOO FAR BEFORE TAKING CONTROL. BY THE TIME THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR HAD TAKEN OVER TOO MUCH DISTANCE AND ALTITUDE HAD BEEN LOST FOR A NORMAL PATTERN. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT HE CLOSED THE SPOILERS AND POINTED THE NOSE DOWN. HE JUST CLEARED THE PERIMETER FENCE AND STRUCK THE FRONT EDGE OF THE RUNWAY WITH THE FRONT SKID PLATE OF THE GLIDER. THE SKID PLATE IN MOUNTED JUST BELOW THE FRONT SEAT AND THE STUDENT RECEIVED A JOLT TO HIS BACK AND HAD THE WIND KNOCKED OUT OF HIM. EMS WAS CALLED BUT HE REFUSED TREATMENT AT THE SCENE.