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20210731012279A

Accident · Minor damage
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FAA accident report · Let L-23 SUPER BLANIK · Sterling, MA · July 31, 2021

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
July 31, 2021 · 14:16 local
Place
Sterling, MA
Airport
Sterling Airport
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N373BA
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA21LA327
Reported as
Let L-23 Super Blanik
Reported engine
NONE NONE
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
733 total80 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days
N373BARegistered now · Let L-23 SUPER BLANIKS/N 008713 · Built 2000Airframe modelLet L-23 SUPER BLANIKEngine 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.

On July 31, while landing on runway 34 at Sterling Airport (3BE), glider N373BA, piloted by ip privacy data omittedand sp privacy data omitted made a hard landing. The glider suffered minimal damage. The sp exited the aircraft without injury. The ip suffered injuries resulting in emergency surgery for broken vertebra within 7 days of the mishap flight, with a hospital stay in excess of 48 hours, elevating the mishap to an accident.

During the interview the ip stated that the turn to final approach was slightly high and unstable. The sp, privacy data omitted, was flying the approach procedures. The student pilot was instructed to, and correctly initiated a slip to lose altitude. The slip was terminated at approx. 60? AGL near the approach end of runway 34. The student was instructed to, and correctly chose an aim point for landing. During the flair to land, and with air brakes fully deployed, the aircraft ballooned slightly. Neither the student nor the ip were able to prevent the aircraft from stalling between 3 to 5 feet above the runway resulting in a hard landing.

As the FAA filed it

ON JULY 31, WHILE LANDING ON RUNWAY 34 AT STERLING AIRPORT (3BE), GLIDER N373BA, PILOTED BY IP ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^AND SP ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MADE A HARD LANDING. THE GLIDER SUFFERED MINIMAL DAMAGE. THE SP EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY. THE IP SUFFERED INJURIES RESULTING IN EMERGENCY SURGERY FOR BROKEN VERTEBRA WITHIN 7 DAYS OF THE MISHAP FLIGHT, WITH A HOSPITAL STAY IN EXCESS OF 48 HOURS, ELEVATING THE MISHAP TO AN ACCIDENT.

DURING THE INTERVIEW THE IP STATED THAT THE TURN TO FINAL APPROACH WAS SLIGHTLY HIGH AND UNSTABLE. THE SP, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS FLYING THE APPROACH PROCEDURES. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS INSTRUCTED TO, AND CORRECTLY INITIATED A SLIP TO LOSE ALTITUDE. THE SLIP WAS TERMINATED AT APPROX. 60? AGL NEAR THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 34. THE STUDENT WAS INSTRUCTED TO, AND CORRECTLY CHOSE AN AIM POINT FOR LANDING. DURING THE FLAIR TO LAND, AND WITH AIR BRAKES FULLY DEPLOYED, THE AIRCRAFT BALLOONED SLIGHTLY. NEITHER THE STUDENT NOR THE IP WERE ABLE TO PREVENT THE AIRCRAFT FROM STALLING BETWEEN 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY RESULTING IN A HARD LANDING.

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 ERA21LA327Accident · Serious injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportSterling, MAThe flight instructor’s lack of remedial action, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall in the landing flare and a hard landing.Jul 31, 2021 · Minor damage