- Date
- July 24, 1983, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fredericksburg, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N32360Let L-13
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830724035509A
- Case key
- 35238
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 lift-off from a tow takeoff, the towplane was unable to attain the normal tow airspeed of 65 to 75 mph & continuedat about 55 mph. The glider plt thought the towplane was having engine problems, & as the two acft circled the arpt, theglider plt released when he was sure the glider could make the arpt. After release, the glider lost airspeed & altitude quickly. During a forced landing into a corn field adjacent to the arpt, the plt reached for the spoilers & realized that the spoilers had been extended throughout the takeoff.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N32360
- Reported as
- Let L-13
- Category
- Glider
- Airframe hours
- 3,412
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Drew E. Machamer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · June 29, 1983 · 25 hours before
- Airport
- 9N7 · Farmers Pride, runway 27, 3,800 × 300 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
- 29
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 865 total · 37 in this make and model · 755 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 8 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.