# NTSB ANC07CA005: Letecky Zavody L-23 Super Blanik, N394BA, Chugiak, AK, October 10, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: October 9, 2006, 18:33 local (Oct 10, 2006, 02:33 UTC) - Place: Chugiak, AK - Coordinates: 61.416389, -149.507217 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.4164&lon=-149.5072&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 26, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 64830 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC07CA005 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/64830/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC07CA005 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain control of the glider while landing in gusty crosswind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing and structural damage to the fuselage. Factors associated with the accident were turbulence, a crosswind and wind gusts, and the pilot's inadequate evaluation of the weather conditions. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - weather condition - gusts (contributing factor) - weather condition - crosswind (contributing factor) - aircraft control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - weather condition - turbulence (contributing factor) - weather evaluation - inadequate, pilot in command (contributing factor) - terrain condition - runway ## Analysis The private pilot reported he was attempting to land a glider in a strong and gusty crosswind. He had departed the same airport about 1.5 hours earlier on a personal, Title 14, CFR Part 91 flight. At the time of his departure, there was an active SIGMET for forecast and reported severe turbulence, as well as strong surface winds reported at adjacent airports. Upon his return, he stated that the surface winds and turbulence had increased significantly, and he estimated a 50 degree crosswind at 15 knots, with gusts to 29 knots. During the landing attempt he continued to encounter turbulence, and reported that the glider landed hard on the nose, resulting in structural damage to the forward fuselage and empennage. In his written report to the NTSB, the pilot noted, in part, that the difficulty in controlling the glider during landing was most likely exacerbated by his less than optimal use of the dive brakes, and that flights into such conditions should only be attempted by very experienced pilots ## Factual narrative The private pilot reported that he was attempting to land a glider in a strong and gusty crosswind. He had departed the same airport about 1.5 hours earlier on a personal, Title 14, CFR Part 91 flight. At the time of his departure, there was an active SIGMET for forecast and reported severe turbulence, as well as strong surface winds reported at adjacent airports. Upon his return, he stated that the surface winds and turbulence had increased significantly, and he estimated a 50 degree crosswind at 15 knots, with gusts to 29 knots. During the landing attempt he continued to encounter turbulence, and reported that the glider landed hard on the nose, resulting in structural damage to the forward fuselage and empennage. In his written report to the NTSB, the pilot noted, in part, that the difficulty in controlling the glider during landing was most likely exacerbated by his less than optimal use of the dive brakes, and that flights into such conditions should only be attempted by very experienced pilots ## Aircraft - Registration: [N394BA](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N394BA), registered now, S/N 019002, built 2001 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Letecky Zavody L-23 Super Blanik - Registry model: [Let L-23 SUPER BLANIK](https://openairdocs.org/model/let-l-23-super-blanik) (registry code 1360308) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Glider - Serial number: 01900Z - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Civil Air Patrol - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility - Last inspection: Annual, March 1, 2006 - Departed: BCV, Chugiak, AK - Destination: Chugiak, AK - Flight plan: Company VFR - Airport: BCV, Birchwood, runway 19R ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 53; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2; flight hours: 272 total, 26 in this make and model, 18 in the last 90 days, 13 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 140° at 15 knots, gusting 29 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20061009024949A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20061009024949A), Oct 9, 2006: Let L23SUPERBLAN, Birchwood, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) The private pilot departed Birchwood, Alaska, on tow in L-23 super blank, owned by the civil air patrol, with a non rated passenger. The weather was not… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.