- Date
- October 11, 2009, 10:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Llano, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N948LCLet Blanik L-13
- Defining event
- Approach: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 3, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20091011022499A
- Case key
- 74889
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 student pilot's improper use of the airbrakes while on approach for landing.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
In a written statement, the certified flight instructor (CFI) reported that the student pilot had accomplished five dual instructional flights earlier that day. The CFI then cleared the student pilot for a solo flight. The glider was attached to a tow airplane, and the takeoff and tow were normal. The student released the glider at 2,000 feet above ground level (agl). The student used the airbrakes to descend to pattern altitude (1,000 feet agl). The CFI reported that the student forgot to close the airbrakes upon reaching traffic pattern altitude and the glider continued to descend rapidly. The student pilot maintained a 45-degree entry to the downwind leg of the runway and the glider impacted trees about 500 feet short of the airport, substantially damaging the wings, fuselage, and right horizontal stabilizer drag spar. When the CFI arrived on-scene the airbrakes were in the open position. There was no report of a mechanical failure or malfunction with the glider at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
In a written statement, the certified flight instructor (CFI) reported that the student pilot had accomplished five dual instructional flights earlier that day. The CFI then cleared the student pilot for a solo flight. The glider was attached to a tow airplane, and the takeoff and tow were normal. The student released the glider at 2,000 feet above ground level (agl). The student used the airbrakes to descend to pattern altitude (1,000 feet agl). The CFI reported that the student forgot to close the airbrakes upon reaching traffic pattern altitude and the glider continued to descend rapidly. The student pilot maintained a 45-degree entry to the downwind leg of the runway and the glider impacted Joshua trees about 500 feet short of the airport, substantially damaging the wings, fuselage, and right horizontal stabilizer drag spar. When the CFI arrived on-scene, the airbrakes were in the open position. There was no report of a mechanical failure or malfunction with the glider at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N948LC
- Reported as
- Let Blanik L-13
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 026037
- Airframe hours
- 3,165
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Southern California Soaring Academy
- Registered owner
- Price L Cook
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal; Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 11, 2009
- Departed
- 46CN · Llano, CA
- Destination
- 46CN · Llano, CA
- Airport
- 46CN · Crystal Airport
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 67
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 52 total · 52 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Observed at
- PMD, 16 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 18, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.