- Date
- July 30, 2017, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Homestead, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N304MGLet L 23 Super Blanik
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of lift
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 27, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170730010189A
- Case key
- 95772
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 glider’s encounter with atmospheric conditions where the lift was not sufficient to maintain flight, which resulted in the pilot landing short of the intended runway.
Findings · 1
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 of a nonpowered glider reported that, while on the downwind for landing, the glider was higher than normal due to lift that was encountered. He added that, while on final approach, the glider encountered a gusting headwind, which reduced the ground speed. The glider was unable to maintain sufficient altitude and touched down short of the intended runway. The fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system located 9 miles east of the accident airport reported that, about 2 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 260° at 14 knots, gusting to 23 knots. 27U was the intended runway.
Factual narrative
The pilot of a non-powered glider reported that while on the downwind for landing, the glider was higher than normal due to lift that was encountered. He added that while on final approach, the glider encountered a gusting headwind, which reduced the ground speed. The glider was unable to maintain sufficient altitude, and touched down short of the intended runway. The fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system located 9 miles east of the accident airport reported, about 2 minutes before the accident, that the wind was from 260° at 14 knots, gusting to 23 knots. 27U was the intended runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N304MG
- Reported as
- Let L 23 Super Blanik (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 917929
- Built
- 1992
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- N304mg LLC.
- Registered owner
- N304mg LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- X51 · Homestead, FL
- Destination
- X51 · Homestead, FL
- Airport
- X51 · Miami Homestead General Aviati, runway 27U, 2,500 × 150 ft
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 17
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 10, 2017
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 131 total · 20 in this make and model · 27 as pilot in command · 58 in the last 90 days · 33 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 14 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 79 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- KHST, 9 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 1, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.2 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.