- Date
- October 29, 1988, 12:20 local (19:20 UTC)
- Place
- Marana, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N90848Let L-13
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 3, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881029048549A
- Case key
- 26279
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
The pilot reported that shortly after liftoff from runway 26 the control stick became difficult to move. He decided to continue the air tow and release at 200 feet AGL after release, the pilot turned the glider to return to the runway to land. He was still having difficulty controlling the glider and felt that the passenger, who was in the front seat, might have been holding the forward control stick. The pilot instructed the passenger to release the stick. Control was momentarily regained then lost again. The pilot could not maintain control of the glider and it collided with runway 08. An examination of the wreckage revealed no problems with the glider's control mechanisms. An examination of another blanik L-13 indicated that very little force is needed on the forward control stick to render the rear stick ineffective. The flight was the passenger's first in small aircraft and was part of therapy being used to treat the passenger for a mild organic brain syndrome.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90848
- Reported as
- Let L-13
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 025704
- Airframe hours
- 2,984
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Tucson Soaring Club, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 25, 1988 · 22 hours before
- Airport
- El Tiro, runway 8, 4,700 × 100 ft, gravel
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
- 66
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.