- Date
- November 1, 1997, 15:21 local (20:21 UTC)
- Place
- Elkin, NC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N65140Let L-13
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19971101040839A
- Case key
- 38425
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The instructor's pilot's misjudgment of altitude and distance, and his inadequate compensation for the wind conditions. Unfavorable winds and a fence were contributing factors.
Analysis
The instructor pilot stated that while on final approach to runway 20, the student encountered both an increase in headwinds and a sink condition. Noticing a loss of altitude, the student voiced doubt they would make the runway, and the instructor pilot took control of the glider. The instructor quickly considered and then rejected a cow pasture, and then continued his approach to runway 20. The glider collided with an airport perimeter fence, short of the runway.
Factual narrative
On November 1, 1997, about 1521 eastern standard time, a Let Blanik L-13, N65140, registered to a private individual, operated by Southern Soaring, Inc., as a 14 CFR 91 instructional flight, crashed in the vicinity of Swan Creek Airport, Elkin, North Carolina, while on final approach to runway 20. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The glider sustained substantial damage. The certified flight instructor, (CFI) and rated commercial pilot student reported no injuries. The flight departed the same airport about 1509. The CFI stated that the student had flown seven to eight instructional flights with a least two other instructors, and was close to soloing. Previously, the student had "bounced" a landing, so the training emphasis this flight was to be towed flight and landing touchdown. The student's turn to final approach put them about 2,000 feet from the runway threshhold, on speed, on centerline, and about 100 feet high; high enough, in fact, that the CFI remembers considering that to be an opportune time to demonstrate the sideslip maneuver, but reconsidered. In quick succession the glider went low, the student voiced doubt they would make the runway, the CFI took control, quickly considered and rejected a cow pasture, and collided with an airport perimeter fence short of the runway.
The tow pilot compared landing to takeoff conditions as, "higher winds from the south, heavy sink, and turbulence". The CFI said, "...winds picked up...160, 170 to 210" (degrees), "...15 gusting to 20" (knots) and he ".. encountered sink, but little turbulence".
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
- N65140
- Reported as
- Let L-13
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 026358
- Airframe hours
- 2,329
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Wilson Brown
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 7, 1997 · 56 hours before
- Departed
- 78A
- Airport
- 78A · Swan Creek Airport, runway 20, 1,700 × 200 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
- 48
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 226 total · 22 in this make and model · 188 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- INT, 32 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.