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20070324003409I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Let L23 · San Diego, CA · March 24, 2007

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
March 24, 2007 · 14:30 local
Place
San Diego, CA
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N237SB
Reported as
Let L23
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,355 total700 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days
N237SBRegistration cancelled May 6, 2010 · Let L-23 SUPER BLANIKS/N 928007 · Built 1993Airframe 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) Remote controlled airplane (rc) flew into glider's right wing during glider's final approach to landing at torrey pines. Pilot in command's statement: I privacy data omitted as PIC was giving an area and procedures check ride to another glider pilot/owner before he would be released to fly his own glider at torrey pines. We had approached the west end of the runway on a heading of 000. We had signaled our intention to make the standard 270 pattern to landing. We saw no hang gliders, paragliders or r/c gliders within the pattern area. Our ground crew had activated the signal horn in response to our landing signal. The signal horn is routinely used to warn all other pilots of a full scale glider landing approach. All other pilots are supposed to remain clear of the approach end of the runway while the signal horn is sounding. While on our final for a down wind landing at approx. 150 feet and approx. 800 feet from our touchdown point we were shocked with a very loud bang sound. We both made a glance to our right and saw model pieces scattering away and one complete model wing folded over our wint about 4 feet from the tip. The model wing remained on our wing until our flare as estimated by where it was retrived from the runway. I and my fellow pilot concentrated on continuing our landing (fly the plane!). We did not feel any change in the performance of our sailplane. Neither myself nor my pilot passenger saw the model glider approach us from the front. Preliminary repair estimates are running in the $4000 - $5000 range to replace one complete wing skin and possibly one rib tip.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) REMOTE CONTROLLED AIRPLANE (RC) FLEW INTO GLIDER'S RIGHT WING DURING GLIDER'S FINAL APPROACH TO LANDING AT TORREY PINES. PILOT IN COMMAND'S STATEMENT: I ^PRIVACY DATA ^ AS PIC WAS GIVING AN AREA AND PROCEDURES CHECK RIDE TO ANOTHER GLIDER PILOT/OWNER BEFORE HE WOULD BE RELEASED TO FLY HIS OWN GLIDER AT TORREY PINES. WE HAD APPROACHED THE WEST END OF THE RUNWAY ON A HEADING OF 000. WE HAD SIGNALED OUR INTENTION TO MAKE THE STANDARD 270 PATTERN TO LANDING. WE SAW NO HANG GLIDERS, PARAGLIDERS OR R/C GLIDERS WITHIN THE PATTERN AREA. OUR GROUND CREW HAD ACTIVATED THE SIGNAL HORN IN RESPONSE TO OUR LANDING SIGNAL. THE SIGNAL HORN IS ROUTINELY USED TO WARN ALL OTHER PILOTS OF A FULL SCALE GLIDER LANDING APPROACH. ALL OTHER PILOTS ARE SUPPOSED TO REMAIN CLEAR OF THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY WHILE THE SIGNAL HORN IS SOUNDING. WHILE ON OUR FINAL FOR A DOWN WIND LANDING AT APPROX. 150 FEET AND APPROX. 800 FEET FROM OUR TOUCHDOWN POINT WE WERE SHOCKED WITH A VERY LOUD BANG SOUND. WE BOTH MADE A GLANCE TO OUR RIGHT AND SAW MODEL PIECES SCATTERING AWAY AND ONE COMPLETE MODEL WING FOLDED OVER OUR WINT ABOUT 4 FEET FROM THE TIP. THE MODEL WING REMAINED ON OUR WING UNTIL OUR FLARE AS ESTIMATED BY WHERE IT WAS RETRIVED FROM THE RUNWAY. I AND MY FELLOW PILOT CONCENTRATED ON CONTINUING OUR LANDING (FLY THE PLANE!). WE DID NOT FEEL ANY CHANGE IN THE PERFORMANCE OF OUR SAILPLANE. NEITHER MYSELF NOR MY PILOT PASSENGER SAW THE MODEL GLIDER APPROACH US FROM THE FRONT. PRELIMINARY REPAIR ESTIMATES ARE RUNNING IN THE $4000 - $5000 RANGE TO REPLACE ONE COMPLETE WING SKIN AND POSSIBLY ONE RIB TIP.