- Date
- September 24, 1995, 17:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Como, CO
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N38924Let Blanik L-13
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 19589
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 allowing the glider to develop an excessive descent rate. A factor was the premature and automatic disengagement of the winch-tow system.
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 was being launched via winch. At an altitude about 50 feet, a slack developed in the tow line, causing the glider to be released automatically. The pilot pitched the nose down. A high sink rate developed and when the pilot flared, the glider landed hard, collapsing the landing gear.
Factual narrative
On September 24, 1995, approximately 1730 mountain daylight time, a Blanik L-13, N38924, operated by Denver Soaring Council, Inc., was substantially damaged during a hard landing at Como, Colorado. The commercial pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that was being conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight was originating at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed.
The following is based on the pilot/operator report. A winch tow was made from runway 06 at the Silver Heels Gliderport. At an altitude about 50 feet, a slack developed in the tow line, causing the glider to be released automatically. The pilot pitched the nose down. A high sink rate developed and when he flared, the glider landed hard, collapsing the landing gear. The glider came to a halt on the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38924
- Reported as
- Let Blanik L-13 (BLANIK L-1)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 025319
- Airframe hours
- 2,639
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Denver Soaring Council, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 14, 1995 · 46 hours before
- Departed
- 2CO9
- Airport
- 2CO9 · Silver Heels Gliderport, runway 6, 4,500 × 35 ft, dirt
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
- 69
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 4,021 total · 337 in this make and model · 3,918 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
Other investigations on N38924 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.