# Accident 20081004848339A: Let L13BLANIK, Gardner, KS, October 4, 2008

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 4, 2008, 13:15 local time
- Place: Gardner, KS
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.8011° N, 94.9553° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.8011&lon=-94.9553&mi=10
- Aircraft: N48026, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N48026-2010-06-04) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Let BLANIK L-13 (registry code 1360306, https://openairdocs.org/model/let-blanik-l-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: LET L13BLANIK
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 479 total, 13 in this make and model, 19 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN09CA007](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09CA007) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20081004848339A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CEN09CA007](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09CA007), Oct 4, 2008: Let Blanik (N48026), Gardner, KS, substantial damage. Probable cause: The 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…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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