- Date
- June 28, 2012, 11:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Benton, TN
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N273BALet L-23 Super Blanik
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing area undershoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 4, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA Nashville FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120628016099A
- Case key
- 84328
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 inadvertent extension of the wing airbrakes, which resulted in a loss of lift and subsequent landing prior to the runway.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was landing the glider at the conclusion of her third solo flight. She stated that on the base leg of the traffic pattern, the glider was lower and farther away from the runway than she intended. She "set" the wing airbrakes, turned onto the final leg of the traffic pattern, and the glider began to sink. The glider subsequently impacted the ground short of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing spar and rear cockpit bulkhead. A postaccident examination of the glider revealed no evidence of preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The airbrakes were found fully deployed after the accident, and the pilot reported that she actually extended the airbrakes when she meant to stow them.
Factual narrative
The pilot was landing the glider at the conclusion of her third solo flight. She stated that on the base leg of the airport traffic pattern, the glider was “lower and further away” from the runway than she intended. She "set" the airbrakes, turned onto the final leg of the traffic pattern, and the glider began to sink. The glider subsequently impacted terrain short of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing spar and rear cockpit bulkhead. A postaccident examination of the glider revealed no evidence of preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The airbrakes were found fully deployed after the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N273BA
- Reported as
- Let L-23 Super Blanik
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 948118
- Airframe hours
- 1,401
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 18, 2012
- Departed
- 92A · Benton, TN
- Destination
- 92A · Benton, TN
- Airport
- 92A · Chilhowee Gliderport, runway 21, 2,600 × 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
- 59
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 11, 2011
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 499 total · 3 in this make and model · 313 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 97 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KMMI, 10 nm away
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 3, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.