- Date
- October 6, 2007, 14:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hemet, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N510CSLet Blanik L-13
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 29, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20071006823839A
- Case key
- 66854
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 failure to maintain a proper descent rate due to his failure to close the air brake and/or partially retract the flaps during an encounter with lost lift on final 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
The pilot encountered a loss of lift during the latter part of the pattern and subsequently collided with the airport boundary fence on final approach. The pilot stated that during the downwind leg, he partially deployed the flaps, and partially opened the air brake. He encountered a significant loss of lift on the final leg, but could not recall whether he closed the air brake. A photograph taken immediately after the accident by the pilot's flight instructor showed the air brake to be open, with the flaps deployed. The pilot was checked out by his flight instructor to fly the L-13 glider earlier that day. The accident flight was his first solo flight in this glider type.
Factual narrative
On October 6, 2007, about 1400 Pacific daylight time, a LET Blanik L-13, N510CS, collided with an airport boundary fence during final approach near Hemet, California. Orange County Soaring Association was operating the glider under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; the glider sustained substantial damage. The local area personal flight departed Hemet-Ryan Airport about 1300. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
In a written report, the pilot stated that he encountered a significant loss of lift during the latter part of the pattern, and subsequently collided with the airport boundary fence.
An FAA investigator interviewed the pilot after the accident. The pilot stated that during the downwind leg, he partially deployed the flaps, and partially opened the air brake. He stated that he encountered a significant loss of lift on the final leg, but could not recall whether he closed the air brake.
A photograph taken immediately after the accident by the pilot's flight instructor showed the air brake to be open. The flaps were deployed.
The pilot was checked out by his flight instructor to fly the L-13 glider earlier that day. The accident flight was his first solo flight since the checkout.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N510CS
- Reported as
- Let Blanik L-13
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 025423
- Airframe hours
- 1,975
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Orange County Soaring Association
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2007
- Departed
- HMT · Hemet, CA
- Destination
- HMT
- Airport
- HMT · Hemet-Ryan, runway 22, 2,045 × 25 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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Last flight review
- October 1, 2007
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,263 total · 2 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- RIV, 15 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.