20061009024949A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Let L23SUPERBLAN · Birchwood, AK · October 9, 2006

Date: October 9, 2006 · 18:33 local
Place: Birchwood, AK
Airport: Birchwood Airport
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N394BA
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC07CA005
Reported as: Let L23SUPERBLAN
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 272 total26 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days

N394BARegistered now · Let L-23 SUPER BLANIKS/N 019002 · Built 2001 Airframe modelLet L-23 SUPER BLANIK Engine 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) The private pilot departed Birchwood, Alaska, on tow in L-23 super blank, owned by the civil air patrol, with a non rated passenger. The weather was not a factor on departure. After the tow pilot returned to Birchwood Airport he reported to the glider that the wind had picked up and was gusty. The glider continued flight to mountain wave conditions to 14,000 feet and 1.5 hours. Upon returning to Birchwood Airport the wind had increased to 15 gust 29 crosswind. During the landing the nose of the glider hit the ground causing damage to the glider. The pilot reported difficulty with pitch control (pilot induced oscillation) during the attempted landing.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED BIRCHWOOD, ALASKA, ON TOW IN L-23 SUPER BLANK, OWNED BY THE CIVIL AIR PATROL, WITH A NON RATED PASSENGER. THE WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR ON DEPARTURE. AFTER THE TOW PILOT RETURNED TO BIRCHWOOD AIRPORT HE REPORTED TO THE GLIDER THAT THE WIND HAD PICKED UP AND WAS GUSTY. THE GLIDER CONTINUED FLIGHT TO MOUNTAIN WAVE CONDITIONS TO 14,000 FEET AND 1.5 HOURS. UPON RETURNING TO BIRCHWOOD AIRPORT THE WIND HAD INCREASED TO 15 GUST 29 CROSSWIND. DURING THE LANDING THE NOSE OF THE GLIDER HIT THE GROUND CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE GLIDER. THE PILOT REPORTED DIFFICULTY WITH PITCH CONTROL (PILOT INDUCED OSCILLATION) DURING THE ATTEMPTED LANDING.

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 ANC07CA005Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportChugiak, AKThe pilot's failure to maintain control of the glider while landing in gusty crosswind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing and structural damage to the fuselage. Factors associated with the accident were turbulence, a crosswind and wind gusts, and…Oct 10, 2006 · Substantial damage