- Date
- September 29, 1991, 13:40 local (20:40 UTC)
- Place
- Adelanto, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N86661Let L-13
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 27376
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
Improper planning/decision by the pilot. Loss of thermal lift was a related factor.
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 certificated private pilot and a passenger were on a local area glider flight after being launched by aerial tow airplane. While returning to the private airstrip, the pilot was unable to maintain thermal lift and decided to make a landing on a dirt road. During the landing roll, the right wingstrip struck high vegetation, causing the glider to pivot to the right into uneven terrain. The right wing and empennage were damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N86661
- Reported as
- Let L-13
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 25423
- Airframe hours
- 1,230
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Big Wing Flyers Inc.
- Registered owner
- Big Wing Flyers Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 18, 1991 · 57 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Adelanto, CA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 2,268 total · 90 in this make and model · 2,065 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F