- Date
- March 5, 2006, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Zephyrhills, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4413Let L13 AC Blanik
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Tampa, Florida
- FAA report
- 20060305011929A
- Case key
- 63322
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 encounter with downdraft.
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 stated that he entered the traffic pattern at 1,000 ft AGL, and at a 45-degree angle. Shortly after announcing the turn to base he said the glider encountered a "strong sink", and he was unable to clear the tree tops at the end of the runway. The left wing hit a tree top, and the glider fell, short of the runway on level ground, incurring damage. According to the pilot, there were no preaccident anomalies associated with the glider.
Factual narrative
On March 5, 2006, about 1730 eastern standard time, a LET, model L13 AC Blanik glider, N4413, registered to and operated by Tampa Bay Soaring, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, made a hard landing at Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. the commercial-rated glider pilot was not injured, and the passenger received minor injuries. The flight originated in Zephyrhills, Florida, the same day, about 1700.
The pilot stated that he entered the traffic pattern at 1,000 ft AGL, and at a 45-degree angle. Shortly after announcing the turn to base he said the glider encountered a "strong sink", and he was unable to clear the tree tops at the end of the runway. The left wing hit a tree top, and the glider fell, short of the runway on level ground, incurring damage. According to the pilot, there were no preaccident anomalies associated with the glider.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4413
- Reported as
- Let L13 AC Blanik
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 175108
- Airframe hours
- 2,977
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Tampa Bay Soaring Society
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2005
- Departed
- ZPH · Zephyrhills, FL
- Destination
- ZPH
- Airport
- ZPH · Zephyrhills Municipal, runway 36, 5,000 × 100 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
- 74
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 331 total · 8 in this make and model · 85 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- TPA, 28 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.