What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Not on scene. Weather was VMC per mvp weather reporting at the time of the operation. Wind was reported as 300' @12 with 4700-6000 scattered visibility at 10+. Upon the return of an instructional training flight the crew (private pilot and instructor) performed a proper entry to the traffic pattern for landing. On final with descent to landing the aircraft encountered an unexpected down draft. The instructor took control but was unable to stop the rapid descent prior to contact with the grass strip on the side of the runway. The blanik L-23 received structural damage to the lower forward fuselage, both left and right inner wing and the aft upper empennage just forward of the vertical fin. There were no injuries to the crew.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) NOT ON SCENE. WEATHER WAS VMC PER MVP WEATHER REPORTING AT THE TIME OF THE OPERATION. WIND WAS REPORTED AS 300' @12 WITH 4700-6000 SCATTERED VISIBILITY AT 10+. UPON THE RETURN OF AN INSTRUCTIONAL TRAINING FLIGHT THE CREW (PRIVATE PILOT AND INSTRUCTOR) PERFORMED A PROPER ENTRY TO THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR LANDING. ON FINAL WITH DESCENT TO LANDING THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED AN UNEXPECTED DOWN DRAFT. THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL BUT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE RAPID DESCENT PRIOR TO CONTACT WITH THE GRASS STRIP ON THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE BLANIK L-23 RECEIVED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE LOWER FORWARD FUSELAGE, BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT INNER WING AND THE AFT UPPER EMPENNAGE JUST FORWARD OF THE VERTICAL FIN. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE CREW.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.