- Date
- August 6, 2010, 13:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Adelanto, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N315BALet L 33 Solo
- Defining event
- Approach: Loss of lift
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 7, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20100806040809A
- Case key
- 76882
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 inability to make it to the airport as a result of his inadequate planning for the gusting headwinds.
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
The pilot reported that after a normal release about 2 miles north of the airport at 3,000 feet, he turned the glider south towards the airport. Approximately 1 mile from the airport the glider encountered strong winds from the south and it entered a high rate of descent with minimal forward motion. The pilot determined the glider would not make the airport and he executed an off-airport landing. During the landing, the right wing struck a bush and the glider ground-looped, substantially damaging its wings and fuselage. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe prior to the accident. An airport located about 9 miles to the east of the accident airport indicated at the time of the accident wind was from 180 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 16 knots.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that after a normal release about 2 miles north of the airport at 3,000 feet, he turned the glider south towards the airport. Approximately 1 mile from the airport the glider encountered strong winds from the south and it entered a high rate of descent with minimal forward motion. The pilot determined the glider would not make the airport and he executed an off-airport landing. During landing, the right wing struck a bush and the glider ground looped, substantially damaging its wings and fuselage. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe prior to the accident. An airport located about 9 miles to the east of the accident airport indicated at the time of the accident wind was from 180 degrees at 11 knots gusting to 16 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N315BA
- Reported as
- Let L 33 Solo
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 970415
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 0CL1 · Adelanto, CA
- Destination
- 0CL1 · Adelanto, CA
- Airport
- 0CL1 · Krey Field
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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 7, 2009
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 207 total · 13 in this make and model · 5 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 11 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 99 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- KVCV, 9 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 28, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 621 KB 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.