- Date
- May 22, 2011, 14:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sparks, NV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N278BALet L 33 Solo
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110522008919A
- Case key
- 79178
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 failure to maintain an adequate airspeed during landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Findings · 4
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 an uneventful cross-country flight he returned to the airport to land with a 5- to 7-knot headwind down the runway. A witness stated that during the landing flare, at a height of approximately 5 feet, the pilot appeared to be at a high angle of attack. Subsequently, the airplane appeared to stall and land hard on the runway, substantially damaging both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal flight.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that after an uneventful cross-country flight, he returned to the airport to land with a 5 to 7 knot headwind down the runway. A witness stated to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that during the landing flare, at a height of approximately 5 feet, the pilot appeared to be at "a very high angle of attack". Subsequently, the airplane appeared to stall and land hard on the runway, substantially damaging both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe and engine that would have precluded normal flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N278BA
- Reported as
- Let L 33 Solo
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 940207
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sierra Fliers LLC
- Registered owner
- Sierra Fliers LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- NV23 · Sparks, NV
- Destination
- NV23 · Sparks, NV
- Airport
- NV23 · Air Sailing Gliderport, runway 21, 3,700 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 18, 2011
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 900 total · 7 in this make and model · 12 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,200 ft broken
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 9, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 642 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.