- Date
- June 20, 1996, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Wichita, KS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N21400Aerotechnik L-13
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 23, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960620014549A
- Case key
- 10282
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 pilot's inadequate in-flight planning. Factors were the insufficient altitude and the dead battery.
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
In his written statement, the pilot of a motor glider reported that he climbed to 4,500 feet man sea level, shut down the engine, and soared for 15 minutes. When he attempted to restart the engine, the 'battery did not have enough power to operate the starter.' He landed in a field three miles east of the destination airport. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector who examined the wreckage reported that the motor glider was substantially damaged when it hit ditches.
Factual narrative
On June 20, 1996, at 1830 central daylight time, an Aerotecnik L-13, motor glider, N21400, sustained substantial damage when it impacted a ditch during an off airport landing in Wichita, Kansas. The solo commercial pilot reported no injuries. The local, 14 CFR Part 91 flight departed the Jabara Airport, Wichita, Kansas about 1800. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
In his written statement, the pilot reported that he climbed to 4,500 feet man sea level, shut down the engine, and soared for 15 minutes. When he attempted to start the engine, the "battery did not have enough power to operate the starter." He landed in a field three miles east of the Jabara Airport.
The wreckage was examined by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector. He reported that the airplane was substantially damaged when it "hit ditches on the roadside."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N21400
- Reported as
- Aerotechnik L-13
- Category
- Unknown, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 930503
- Airframe hours
- 130
- Engine
- Microal MARK IV, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Sabris Corporation
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 24, 1995 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- 3KM
- Destination
- 3KM
- Airport
- 3KM · Jabara
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
- 51
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,880 total · 88 in this make and model · 1,770 as pilot in command · 110 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- 3KM, 3 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.