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20081004848339A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Let L13BLANIK · Gardner, KS · October 4, 2008

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
October 4, 2008 · 13:15 local
Place
Gardner, KS
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N48026
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN09CA007
Reported as
Let L13BLANIK
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
479 total13 in this make and model19 in the last 90 days
N48026Registration cancelled Jun 4, 2010 · Let BLANIK L-13S/N 026021 · Built 1975Airframe modelLet BLANIK L-13Engine 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 events surrounding this accident involved a glider aero tow launch from runway 21 in cross wind conditions at Gardner municipal airport (K34), Gardner, KS using CE-150 as the tow plane. After both aircraft became airborne, the tow plane was unable to climb. As the tow plane approached the departure end of runway 21 with the glider in tow, the pilot of the glider stated that the tow plane began to sink. The pilot of the tow plane made the decision to release the tow line when it was apparent that the aircraft was not going to be able to climb above obstructions off the depature end of the runway. After releasing the tow line, the tow plane was able to climb out normally and return for a landing without further incident. The pilot of the glider released the tow line shortly after that line was released from the tow plane, leaving the glider approximately 50 feet above ground level at the departure end of the runway. The glider pilot made a left turn in an attempt to land on the remaining portion of runway 17 which intersects runway 21 near the departure end. The glider touched down and struck a fence off the end of runway 17.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE EVENTS SURROUNDING THIS ACCIDENT INVOLVED A GLIDER AERO TOW LAUNCH FROM RUNWAY 21 IN CROSS WIND CONDITIONS AT GARDNER MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (K34), GARDNER, KS USING CE-150 AS THE TOW PLANE. AFTER BOTH AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE, THE TOW PLANE WAS UNABLE TO CLIMB. AS THE TOW PLANE APPROACHED THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 21 WITH THE GLIDER IN TOW, THE PILOT OF THE GLIDER STATED THAT THE TOW PLANE BEGAN TO SINK. THE PILOT OF THE TOW PLANE MADE THE DECISION TO RELEASE THE TOW LINE WHEN IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO CLIMB ABOVE OBSTRUCTIONS OFF THE DEPATURE END OF THE RUNWAY. AFTER RELEASING THE TOW LINE, THE TOW PLANE WAS ABLE TO CLIMB OUT NORMALLY AND RETURN FOR A LANDING WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE PILOT OF THE GLIDER RELEASED THE TOW LINE SHORTLY AFTER THAT LINE WAS RELEASED FROM THE TOW PLANE, LEAVING THE GLIDER APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE GLIDER PILOT MADE A LEFT TURN IN AN ATTEMPT TO LAND ON THE REMAINING PORTION OF RUNWAY 17 WHICH INTERSECTS RUNWAY 21 NEAR THE DEPARTURE END. THE GLIDER TOUCHED DOWN AND STRUCK A FENCE OFF THE END OF RUNWAY 17.

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 CEN09CA007Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportGardner, KSThe pilot's decision to attempt a takeoff when the climb performance of the tow plane and the glider were inadequate. Contributing to the accident were the high density altitude and the terrain-induced turbulence.Oct 4, 2008 · Substantial damage