SEA93LA141

NTSB accident investigation · Let Blanik L-13 · Enumclaw, WA · June 27, 1993

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
June 26, 1993, 18:00 local (Jun 27, 1993, 01:00 UTC)
Place
Enumclaw, WA
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N82ASLet Blanik L-13
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report May 17, 1994
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19930626020779A
Case key
41723

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 pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point. Factors to the accident were: lack of familiarity with geographic area and the grass.

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.

On ground/water encounter with terrain/waterLanding - roll
Terrain condition - grassFactor
Proper touchdown point - not attainedPilot in commandCause
Lack of familiarity with geographic areaPilot in commandFactor

Analysis

At the end of a local familiarization flight, the glider landed approximately 300 feet from the end of the runway. During the landing roll, the left wing contacted the tall grass near the runway edges and spun the glider to the left. The right wing contacted the surface and the glider came to rest 90 degrees from the runway heading. Normal procedures for landing is to land 500 feet or more down the runway to avoid the tall grass near the approach end. The second pilot on board the glider reported that while on final approach, he told the pilot in command to land further down the runway.

Factual narrative

On June 26, 1993, at 1800 hours Pacific daylight time, a LET Blanik L 13, N82AS, collided with the terrain during the landing roll at a private airstrip near Enumclaw, Washington. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The glider was substantially damaged and both certificated private pilots were not injured.

The second pilot reported that he was asked to fly with the pilot in command to familiarize the pilot in command with the area. The second pilot sat in the rear seat, while the pilot in command was in the front seat and in control of the flight controls for the entire flight.

After the flight, a landing was set up to the east. The glider touched down approximately 300 feet from the end of the runway. During the landing roll, the left wing caught in the tall grass next to the runway and the glider spun to the left and skidded a short distance. The right wing contacted the surface and the glider came to rest approximately 90 degrees from the runway heading.

The second pilot reported that touchdown is normally made at 500 feet down the runway where the grass is always kept short. The second pilot reported that he did mention this to the pilot in command while on final approach.

Aircraft

Registration
N82AS
Reported as
Let Blanik L-13 (BLANIK L-1)
Category
Glider
Serial number
26651
Engine
unknown
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Puget Sound Soaring Assoc.
Registered owner
Puget Sound Soaring Assoc.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Unknown · January 2, 2000
Airport
Private, runway 9, 1,000 × 50 ft, dirt

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
Certificate
Private
Seat
Front

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
220° at 5 knots
Visibility
15 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
3,000 ft overcast
Temperature
61 °F

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.

Other investigations on N82AS · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.