What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On July 11, 2006, about 1500 pacific daylight time, a blanik L23, N381BA, collided with terrain during takeoff from the us army airfield at Los Alamitos, California. The civil patrol (cap) was operating the airplane as a local instructional flight under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The commercial pilot and the student pilot were not injured; the glider sustained damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The cap reported that they were using a winch to launch the glider. They were experimenting with a new plasma launch rope. With the new rope, the winch operator could not see the glider until it became airborne. As the winch operator watched the glider become airborne, he diverted his eyes from the winch gauges. When he looked back at them, he realized that he was accelerating it faster than he desired. He reduced the winch's power momentarily. The glider stalled at 80 feet above ground level. It landed hard, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. This accident investigation is closed. The FAA was not notified until 05/08/2007, therefore this report is not submitted within the 30 day reporting period.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JULY 11, 2006, ABOUT 1500 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BLANIK L23, N381BA, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN DURING TAKEOFF FROM THE US ARMY AIRFIELD AT LOS ALAMITOS, CALIFORNIA. THE CIVIL PATROL (CAP) WAS OPERATING THE AIRPLANE AS A LOCAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND THE STUDENT PILOT WERE NOT INJURED; THE GLIDER SUSTAINED DAMAGE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE CAP REPORTED THAT THEY WERE USING A WINCH TO LAUNCH THE GLIDER. THEY WERE EXPERIMENTING WITH A NEW PLASMA LAUNCH ROPE. WITH THE NEW ROPE, THE WINCH OPERATOR COULD NOT SEE THE GLIDER UNTIL IT BECAME AIRBORNE. AS THE WINCH OPERATOR WATCHED THE GLIDER BECOME AIRBORNE, HE DIVERTED HIS EYES FROM THE WINCH GAUGES. WHEN HE LOOKED BACK AT THEM, HE REALIZED THAT HE WAS ACCELERATING IT FASTER THAN HE DESIRED. HE REDUCED THE WINCH'S POWER MOMENTARILY. THE GLIDER STALLED AT 80 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. IT LANDED HARD, WHICH RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING. THIS ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED. THE FAA WAS NOT NOTIFIED UNTIL 05/08/2007, THEREFORE THIS REPORT IS NOT SUBMITTED WITHIN THE 30 DAY REPORTING PERIOD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N381BA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.