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20200509007529A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Let L 33 SOLO · Arlington, WA · May 9, 2020

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Date
May 9, 2020 · 12:55 local
Place
Arlington, WA
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N355BA
Reported as
Let L 33 Solo
Reported engine
NONE NONE
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
4,619 total4 in this make and model11 in the last 90 days
N355BARegistration cancelled Mar 3, 2023 · Let L 33 SOLOS/N 990506 · Built 1999Airframe modelLet L 33 SOLOEngine 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.

PIC entered the base leg of glider traffic/landing pattern at an acceptable altitude and airspeed. Toward end of base leg, PIC felt glider was "sinking" but stayed in the base leg and turned to final too late. PIC realized he would not make the runway or airfield and forced the aircraft into an open area of a parking lot south of the airfield. The main gear hit a large, deep pothole causing substantial damage to the fuselage.

As the FAA filed it

PIC ENTERED THE BASE LEG OF GLIDER TRAFFIC/LANDING PATTERN AT AN ACCEPTABLE ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED. TOWARD END OF BASE LEG, PIC FELT GLIDER WAS "SINKING" BUT STAYED IN THE BASE LEG AND TURNED TO FINAL TOO LATE. PIC REALIZED HE WOULD NOT MAKE THE RUNWAY OR AIRFIELD AND FORCED THE AIRCRAFT INTO AN OPEN AREA OF A PARKING LOT SOUTH OF THE AIRFIELD. THE MAIN GEAR HIT A LARGE, DEEP POTHOLE CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE.