- Date
- May 4, 1992, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Boynton Beach, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N99946Let L-13
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920504013299A
- Case key
- 33089
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
Premature extension of the spoilers by the pilot during approach to land. Contributing to the accident was his lack of total experience in the type of aircraft and in-flight encounter with a 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 flt turned base with partial spoilers extended then turned final, & encountered a 'severe downdraft.' The plt retracted the spoilers but the descent continued until impact with trees approximately 300 ft short of the rwy. He had accumulated 3 hrs total time make & model during 8 dual & 12 solo flights in the preceding 30 days.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N99946
- Reported as
- Let L-13
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 025822
- Airframe hours
- 2,754
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Willis, B.N.
- Registered owner
- Willis, B.N.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 2, 1992 · 18 hours before
- Airport
- 1X4 · Willis Gliderport
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
- 39
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 9,171 total · 3 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PBI, 10 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.
Other investigations on N99946 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.