- Date
- June 3, 2004, 15:55 local (21:55 UTC)
- Place
- Durango, CO
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N99860Let Blanik L-13
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 1, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20040603011289A
- Case key
- 59410
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 improper in-flight planning and decision and his failure to maintain adequate terrain clearance. Contributing to the accident was the lack of suitable terrain, and the low approach.
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
As the flight approached the airport, the pilot told the passenger that "he likes to come in down to the landing strip and then take off again." They flew over the field to observe the winds. They were calm. According to the pilot's statement, he decided to "fly a low approach over the field and turn around and land." During the pull-up from the low approach, the pilot expected to gain at least "300 feet"; however, he only gained 100 feet. At this point, the glider was over the river with trees ahead and he elected to maneuver back to the field. During the turn back to the runway, the right wing impacted the ground and the airplane cart wheeled, causing substantial damage.
Factual narrative
On June 3, 2004, at 1555 mountain daylight time, a LET Blanik L-13, N99860, operated by Durango Soaring Club, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during a landing at Val-Air Airport (CD82), Durango, Colorado. The commercial pilot was seriously injured and his passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan had been filed for the local scenic flight being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight had departed at 1518.
According to the passenger's statement, the flight was uneventful. As the flight approached the airport, the pilot told the passenger that "he likes to come in down to the landing strip and then take off again." They flew over the field to observe the winds. They were calm. According to the pilot's statement, he decided to "fly a low approach over the field and turn around and land." During the pull-up from the low approach, the pilot expected to gain at least "300 feet"; however, he only gained 100 feet. At this point, the glider was over the river with trees ahead and elected to maneuver back to the field. During the turn back to the runway, the right wing impacted the ground and the airplane cartwheeled. A post-accident examination revealed that the outboard portion of the right wing was bent up approximately 15 degrees, the fuselage nose was fractured, and the empennage bent.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N99860
- Reported as
- Let Blanik L-13
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 026511
- Airframe hours
- 2,957.6
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Lavern D. St. Clair
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 11, 2004 · 27 hours before
- Departed
- CD82 · Durango, CO
- Airport
- CD82 · Val - Air, runway 35, 3,500 × 135 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
- 42
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- March 16, 2004
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 1,500 total · 50 in this make and model · 45 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- DRO, 1 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.