What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) During an instructional flight, in a blanik Let-13 glider, made a hard landing at the blair municipal airport, blair, Nebraska. The pilot in the front, who is glider rated but not current, was at the controls. The pilot in command who was giving instruction was in the back seat. When approaching the runway the aircraft got slow and a high rate of descent developed. The pilot in the front seat increased the angle of attack to arrest the descent, causing the tailwheel to strike the runway first then the nose came down hard on the single main wheel causing substantial damage to the lower fuselage and main gear box. The spoilers were partially deployed, about one half, with no attempt to retract them. The instructor did not have sufficient time to react to the circumstance. The conditions were gusty which contributed to controlling the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) DURING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, IN A BLANIK LET-13 GLIDER, MADE A HARD LANDING AT THE BLAIR MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, BLAIR, NEBRASKA. THE PILOT IN THE FRONT, WHO IS GLIDER RATED BUT NOT CURRENT, WAS AT THE CONTROLS. THE PILOT IN COMMAND WHO WAS GIVING INSTRUCTION WAS IN THE BACK SEAT. WHEN APPROACHING THE RUNWAY THE AIRCRAFT GOT SLOW AND A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT DEVELOPED. THE PILOT IN THE FRONT SEAT INCREASED THE ANGLE OF ATTACK TO ARREST THE DESCENT, CAUSING THE TAILWHEEL TO STRIKE THE RUNWAY FIRST THEN THE NOSE CAME DOWN HARD ON THE SINGLE MAIN WHEEL CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LOWER FUSELAGE AND MAIN GEAR BOX. THE SPOILERS WERE PARTIALLY DEPLOYED, ABOUT ONE HALF, WITH NO ATTEMPT TO RETRACT THEM. THE INSTRUCTOR DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT TIME TO REACT TO THE CIRCUMSTANCE. THE CONDITIONS WERE GUSTY WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO CONTROLLING THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.