- Date
- September 26, 1992, 11:08 local (15:08 UTC)
- Place
- New Smyrna Bch, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N90861Let L-13
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920926038849A
- Case key
- 33144
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 inadequate compensation for wind conditions. The downdraft was a factor in the accident.
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 wind was from south at 12 KTS. While on final approach to runway 18, on proper glidepath, the glider began to descend. The pilot was unable to clear trees just prior to the runway and the glider collided with the trees, and descended nose first to the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90861
- Reported as
- Let L-13
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 025722
- Airframe hours
- 900
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Precision Soaring, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Precision Soaring, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 5, 1992 · 91 hours before
- Departed
- X50
- Airport
- X50 · Massey Ranch Airpark, runway 18, 4,300 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 67
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 812 total · 7 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 175° at 12 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DAB, 14 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 N90861 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.