# Incident 20011104031179I: Let L23, Tucson, AZ, November 4, 2001

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 4, 2001, 11:15 local time
- Place: Tucson, AZ
- Airport: El Tiro Gliderport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Missed Approach IFR
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.4270° N, 111.3900° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at El Tiro Gliderport (AZ67), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.4270&lon=-111.3900&mi=10
- Aircraft: N271BA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N271BA) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Let L-23 SUPER BLANIK (registry code 1360308, https://openairdocs.org/model/let-l-23-super-blanik) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: LET L23
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 565 total, 30 in this make and model, 4 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20011104031179I

## Narrative

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

(-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.

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.