- Date
- August 6, 2005, 15:32 local (20:32 UTC)
- Place
- Blair, NE
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9295ZLet Blanik L-13
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 27, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20050806017019A
- Case key
- 62331
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The low airspeed by the pilot and the inadequate supervision by the certified flight instructor.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The glider received substantial damage during a hard landing. The certified flight instructor (CFI), seated in the rear seat, stated that he took the front seat pilot on the flight and allowed him to land the airplane during the accident landing. The CFI stated that while over the runway, "the sink rate quickly increased dramatically to a rate too high for a normal touchdown." He stated that the front seat pilot applied full back stick and the nose came up arresting the sink rate "significantly." The tail wheel initially contacted the ground which was followed by the main wheels. The CFI stated that he noted that the dive brakes were partially extended and didn't know if they had been closed and then reopened during rollout or remained open during landing.
Factual narrative
On August 6, 2005, at 1532 central daylight time, a Let Blanik L-13, N9295Z, operated by Omaha Soaring Club, received substantial damage during a hard landing on runway 13 (3,450 feet by 50 feet, asphalt) at Blair Municipal Airport, Blair, Nebraska. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight was not operating on a flight plan. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and commercial rated pilot were uninjured. The local flight originated at 1513.
The CFI stated that the he agreed to take a visiting pilot on a flight. The CFI stated that he was seated in the rear seat of the airplane and was commercial pilot was seated in the front seat at the time of the accident landing. The CFI stated that while on final approach, they discussed and used dive brakes and slips. Approaching the threshold the CFI reportedly cautioned the commercial pilot to "keep the speed up." Over the runway, "the sink rate quickly increased dramatically to a rate too high for a normal touchdown." He stated that the commercial pilot applied full back stick, and the nose came up arresting the sink rate "significantly." The tail wheel initially contacted the runway which was then followed by the main wheels. The CFI stated that he noted that the dive brakes were partially extended and didn't know if they had been closed and then reopened during rollout or had remained open during landing.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector, both pilots held CFI certificate with glider ratings. The front seat pilot was not current in gliders.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9295Z
- Reported as
- Let Blanik L-13
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 26504
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Omaha Soaring Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special flight (Special)
- Departed
- K46 · Blair, NE
- Destination
- K46 · Blair, NE
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 70
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 21,700 total · 200 in this make and model · 18 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 1,430 total · 6 in this make and model · 5 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.