20170721009139A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Let L-23 SUPER BLANIK · Deatsville, AL · July 21, 2017

Date: July 21, 2017 · 12:20 local
Place: Deatsville, AL
Airport: Wetumpka
Phase of flight: Other, Specify
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N342BA
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA17CA427
Reported as: Let L-23 Super Blanik
Reported engine: NONE NONE
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 23 total20 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days

N342BARegistration cancelled Oct 31, 2020 · Let L-23 SUPER BLANIKS/N 998418 · Built 1999 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.

A 16 year old student pilot departed Wetumpka Airport on his second solo flight of the day and third total flight of the day, in a blanik glider owned by civil air patrol. The student pilot's instructor was already in position approximately two miles from the airport, waiting for him. When the student pilot broke loose from the tow plane, he nor the instructor saw or could locate each other. The student was in communications with his instructor while trying to locate him and locate a thermal but neither was able to identify a common area or point of reference to know the others location. The student pilot lost altitude, and hit a power line, with his left wing, broke the power line and the aircraft turned approximately 180 degrees landing perpendicular to the road, (318 fraley lane) hitting on the right wing first and exited the aircraft upon landing without any injuries.

Counselled instructor pilot.

As the FAA filed it

A 16 YEAR OLD STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED WETUMPKA AIRPORT ON HIS SECOND SOLO FLIGHT OF THE DAY AND THIRD TOTAL FLIGHT OF THE DAY, IN A BLANIK GLIDER OWNED BY CIVIL AIR PATROL. THE STUDENT PILOT'S INSTRUCTOR WAS ALREADY IN POSITION APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES FROM THE AIRPORT, WAITING FOR HIM. WHEN THE STUDENT PILOT BROKE LOOSE FROM THE TOW PLANE, HE NOR THE INSTRUCTOR SAW OR COULD LOCATE EACH OTHER. THE STUDENT WAS IN COMMUNICATIONS WITH HIS INSTRUCTOR WHILE TRYING TO LOCATE HIM AND LOCATE A THERMAL BUT NEITHER WAS ABLE TO IDENTIFY A COMMON AREA OR POINT OF REFERENCE TO KNOW THE OTHERS LOCATION. THE STUDENT PILOT LOST ALTITUDE, AND HIT A POWER LINE, WITH HIS LEFT WING, BROKE THE POWER LINE AND THE AIRCRAFT TURNED APPROXIMATELY 180 DEGREES LANDING PERPENDICULAR TO THE ROAD, (318 FRALEY LANE) HITTING ON THE RIGHT WING FIRST AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT UPON LANDING WITHOUT ANY INJURIES.

COUNSELLED INSTRUCTOR PILOT.

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 GAA17CA427Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportDeatsville, ALThe student pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from trees and power lines while landing.Jul 21, 2017 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N342BA · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20140714013662ALanding: Rollout · Warm Springs, GAAircraft 1 landed and rolled out to the 1,000' point. Crew was debriefing in the aircraft waiting for takeoff. Aircraft two was on short final when the wind shifted to a tailwind. Aircraft 2 could not stop prior to running into the tail of aircraft 1.Jul 14, 2014 · Substantial damage