- Date
- March 29, 2015, 12:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Los Alamitos, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N381BALet L23 - NO Series
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of lift
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 1, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20150329005289A
- Case key
- 90962
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 inadvertent deployment of the air brakes during initial climb, resulting in a loss of lift. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to identify and remediate the cause.
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 glider instructor was giving an introduction flight. During the tow-plane assisted launch, the glider's air brakes were inadvertently deployed. The tow plane was unable to obtain a positive rate of climb, so the tow-plane pilot signaled for a glider disconnect. The glider pilot released the glider from the tow plane, about 175 feet above the ground. After the release the pilot made a 125 degree right turn to land on an adjacent taxiway and touched down with a high descent rate. During the landing the glider sustained substantial damage to the right wing, right aileron, and fuselage. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The passenger was not injured. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider prior to the accident that would have resulted in abnormal operation of the glider. In addition, he reported that he accomplished a pre-launch checklist prior to the flight and that the launch was more turbulent than normal. He remarked that the accident could have been prevented if he would have landed straight ahead instead of making the right turn. Witnesses on the ground reported seeing the air brakes deploy during the launch.
Factual narrative
The glider instructor was giving an introduction flight. During the tow-plane assisted launch, the glider's air brakes were inadvertently deployed. The tow plane was unable to obtain a positive rate of climb, so the tow-plane pilot signaled for a glider disconnect. The glider pilot released the glider from the tow plane, about 175 feet above the ground. After the release the pilot made a 125 degree right turn to land on an adjacent taxiway and touched down with a high descent rate. During the landing the glider sustained substantial damage to the right wing, right aileron, and fuselage. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The passenger was not injured. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider prior to the accident that would have resulted in abnormal operation of the glider. In addition, he reported that he accomplished a pre-launch checklist prior to the flight and that the launch was more turbulent than normal. He remarked that the accident could have been prevented if he would have landed straight ahead instead of making the right turn. Witnesses on the ground reported seeing the air brakes deploy during the launch.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N381BA
- Reported as
- Let L23 - NO Series (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 018801
- Built
- 2001
- Airframe hours
- 391.1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Los Alamitos Glider Training Sqaudron 41
- Registered owner
- Civil Air Patrol Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 30, 2014 · 8 hours before
- Departed
- SLI · Los Alamitos, CA
- Destination
- SLI · Los Alamitos, CA
- Flight plan
- Military VFR
- Airport
- SLI · Los Alamitos Aaf, runway 22R, 5,900 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 70
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 7, 2013
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 30,681 total · 19 in this make and model · 21,876 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 0.3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KSLI
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 21, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.2 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.
Other investigations on N381BA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.