- Date
- April 21, 1998, 14:20 local (18:20 UTC)
- Place
- Pipersville, PA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N298BALet L-23 Super Blanik
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 30, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980421007399A
- Case key
- 39555
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 misjudgment of distance and altitude, while on an approach to an off-airport landing area, which resulted in a lack of airspeed and/or altitude to reach the intended landing area (undershoot), a stall or mush into tree(s), and collision with a barn.
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 pilot had been soaring for approximately 2 hours when he lost sight of his intended landing site. As he lost altitude, he continued to slow the glider while looking for a field to land in. Just prior to touch down, he stalled the glider, which struck a tree, then hit the side of a barn before coming to rest up right.
Factual narrative
On April 21, 1998, at 1420 eastern daylight time, a Let-23-23 (glider), N298BA, was substantially damaged during an off airport landing to a field near Pipersville, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot sustained serious injuries and the passenger received no injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that originated from Vansant Airport (9N1), Pipersville, Pennsylvania, approximately 1220. No flight plan was filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot stated that he had been soaring for approximately 2 hours when he lost sight of Vansant Airport. He also stated, as he lost altitude, he continued to slow (the glider) while looking for a field to land in. Just prior to touch down, he stalled the glider, which struck a tree, and hit the side of a barn before coming to rest up right.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N298BA
- Reported as
- Let L-23 Super Blanik (L-23 SUPER)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 968215
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Don J. Summa
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 9N1 · Erwinna, PA
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
- 71
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Unknown
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,200 total · 50 in this make and model · 1,000 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PHL, 30 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.