# NTSB NYC95LA199: Let Blanik L-13, N69AS, Mayville, NY, August 19, 1995

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: August 19, 1995, 17:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place: Mayville, NY
- Coordinates: 42.249057, -79.500129 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.2491&lon=-79.5001&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report January 8, 1997
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 39034
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC95LA199
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/39034/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC95LA199

## Probable cause

the pilot's improper flight control input during the landing roll in high grass, which resulted in a ground loop and subsequent wingtip damage.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll
  - terrain condition - high vegetation
  - flight controls - improper use of, pilot in command (cause)

## Analysis

THE GLIDER PILOT STATED, '...I NOTICED A SMALL PLANE MOVING DOWN RUNWAY 31.  I WAS INTENDING TO LAND ON 13....I LANDED IN THE HIGH GRASS WEST OF THE RUNWAY, ABOUT 10 FEET FROM THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY....NOT WANTING TO ROLL ACROSS THE RUNWAY INTO THE POWERLINES, DITCH, OR ROAD, I APPLIED FULL RIGHT RUDDER AND DEPLOYED MY SPOILERS.  I HADN'T NOTICED THAT MY RIGHT WING HAD NOT YET CLEARED THE HIGH GRASS....MY WINGTIP DIPPED, CAUGHT IN GROUND AND DAMAGED GLIDER.  THE SOLE CAUSE OF THE DAMAGE TO THE GLIDER WAS THE GROUND LOOP INSTIGATED BY MY APPLYING RUDDER WHILE WING WAS STILL IN GRASS...'  ADDITIONALLY, THE STUDENT PILOT HAD A TOTAL TIME OF ABOUT 18 HOURS, OF WHICH 1 HOUR WAS SOLO TIME.

## Factual narrative

On August 19, 1995, about 1745 eastern daylight time, a Let Blanik L-13, glider, N69AS, operated by Aero Soaring Club Inc., was substantially damaged when it ground looped during the landing at the Dart Airport, Mayville, New York.  The student pilot was not injured.  Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the instructional flight that departed Mayville at 1705.  No flight plan had been filed for the local flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

In the NTSB form 6120.1/2, the pilot stated:

...I noticed a small plane moving down runway 31.  I      was intending to land on 13....I altered my base leg,      hoping to cut back and land halfway down the runway,      thus landing behind the small plane.  I landed in the      high grass west of the runway, about 10 feet from the      edge of the runway....Not wanting to roll across the      runway into the powerlines, ditch, or road, I applied      full right rudder and deployed my spoilers.  I hadn't      noticed that my right wing had not yet cleared the high      grass west of runway....The glider did a 180 degree      turn....My wingtip dipped,  caught in ground and      damaged glider.  The sole cause of the damage to the      glider was the ground loop instigated by my applying      rudder while wing was still in grass....

Additionally, at the time of the accident, the winds were reported as calm, and the pilot had approximately 18 hours of total flight time, of which 1 hour was solo time.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N69AS](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N69AS), registered now, S/N 026941 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: LET BLANIK L-13 (BLANIK L-1)
- Registry model: [Let BLANIK L-13](https://openairdocs.org/model/let-blanik-l-13) (registry code 1360306) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Glider
- Serial number: 026941
- Airframe hours: 1045
- Engines: unknown
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Registered owner: Aero Soaring Club Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, April 12, 1995, 30 hours before
- Departed: D79
- Airport: D79, Dart Airport, runway 13, 2,750 × 50 ft, grass/turf

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 29; student; medical: unknown; seat: front; flight hours: 18 total, 1 as pilot in command, 4 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 30 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: variable at 5 knots
- Temperature: 81 °F

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19950819049289A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950819049289A), Aug 19, 1995: Mayville, NY, Substantial damage. (-16) [privacy data omitted]

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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