- Date
- September 26, 1993, 16:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Clinton, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N52ASLet Blanik L-13
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930926037719A
- Case key
- 41781
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
Total failure of the tow equipment.
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
During a second tow attempt, the tow rope broke for the second time. The pilot pulled the lever to release the rope, however, the rope did not release. During the landing roll, the main landing gear landed on the rope and the glider veered to the right. The glider continued to the side of the airstrip and collided with a stationary runway border cone before the pilot was able to regain control and maneuver the glider back on the airstrip.
Factual narrative
On September 26, 1993, at 1600 mountain daylight time, a Blanik L-13, N52AS, collided with a runway border cone after the takeoff was aborted, at Clinton, Montana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The glider was substantially damaged and the certificated private pilot was not injured.
The pilot reported during a telephone interview and subsequent written statement that during the first attempted takeoff the tow rope broke a few feet in front of the glider. The pilot released the broken rope and made a successful landing. The rope was repaired and a second tow was attempted. During the tow, just after liftoff, the rope broke again approximately 20 feet in front of the glider. The pilot pulled the release lever and thought that the rope released, however, the rope did not. The pilot aborted the takeoff and attempted to land on the runway. During the landing roll, the pilot stated that the main wheel landed on the rope and the glider veered to the right. The glider continued to the side of the airstrip and collided with a stationary runway border cone before the pilot was able to regain control and maneuver the glider back to the airstrip.
The accident was not reported by the pilot until October 5, 1993.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N52AS
- Reported as
- Let Blanik L-13 (BLANIK L-1)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 027056
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hellgate Soaring Society
- Registered owner
- North Idaho Soaring Assoc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Airport
- 25S · Clinton
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
- 61
- Certificate
- Private
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 14 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 12 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °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 N52AS · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.