- Date
- October 8, 1986, 18:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- White Bear Lake, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N142ASLet L-13
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19861008048389A
- Case key
- 13676
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 plt reported that he entered the traffic pattern for rwy 30 at aprx 900 ft and completed a right turn to base. The plt stated that while on base, he realized the aircraft was too high and deployed the spoilers halfway. As he turned to final, he stated that he was too low and at that point observed the airspeed dropping to the stall point. In an attempt to avoid a stall, the plt lowered the acft nose and realized that he would not make the arpt. According to the plt, he then flew under power lines and deliberately struck a power line pole with the right wing at approximately 30 ft AGL, in order to dissapate energy. Approximately 10 ft of the outboard right wing was severed from the acft as it rotated 90 degrees to the right and dropped about 15 ft before coming to rest in a swamp about 200 yards from the arpt. A witness stated that he clearly observed the glider's spoilers in a fully deployed position when the acft rolled out on final.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N142AS
- Reported as
- Let L-13
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 027062
- Airframe hours
- 910
- Engine
- None NONE, unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Red Wing Flying Assn. Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 22, 1986 · 58 hours before
- Airport
- 76Y · Benson Airport, runway 30, 2,000 × 200 ft, grass/turf
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 36
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 13 total · 13 in this make and model · 2 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MSP, 107 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.