- Date
- November 11, 2007, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Louisburg, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N284BALet L-33 Solo
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20071111828829A
- Case key
- 67060
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 flight's encounter with an area of no thermal lift. Contributing factors to the accident were the pilot's inadvertent selection of unsuitable terrain with a hidden obstruction.
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
After being towed to an altitude of 1,800 feet, the pilot of the LET L-33 Solo glider released the towline and began "thermaling" to the northwest of the airport. After flying for approximately 11 nautical miles uneventfully, the pilot turned back to the airport. Then while thermaling on the return leg, the glider lost altitude due to the "lift conditions," and the pilot performed an off-field landing. After touching down in a hay field, the glider struck a grass covered culvert and was substantially damaged.
Factual narrative
After being towed to an altitude of 1,800 feet, the pilot of the LET L-33 Solo glider released the towline and began "thermaling" to the northwest of the airport. After flying for approximately 11 nautical miles uneventfully, the pilot turned back to the airport. Then while thermaling on the return leg, the glider lost altitude due to the "lift conditions," and the pilot performed an off-field landing. After touching down in a hay field, the glider struck a grass covered culvert and was substantially damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N284BA
- Reported as
- Let L-33 Solo
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 940312
- Airframe hours
- 1,115
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2007
- Departed
- 79NC · Louisburg, NC
- Destination
- 79NC
- Airport
- 79NC · Ball Airport
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
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Last flight review
- July 1, 2007
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 74 total · 32 in this make and model · 52 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.30 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.