Let L-13 N48032

Summary

On 26 May 1984 at about 18:10 local time, a Let L-13 registered N48032, operated by New Mexico Soaring Ranch, was involved in an accident near Edgewood, New Mexico, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

26 May 1984 at 18:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Edgewood, New Mexico, United States

Nearest airport

New Mexico Soaring Ranch

Coordinates

35.0796, -106.1693

Aircraft

Let L-13

Registration

N48032

Category

Glider

Operator

New Mexico Soaring Ranch

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Edgewood → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN84FA161

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE ACFT APPEARED TO BE TOO HIGH, TOO FAST, AND IN A CRAB AS IT APPROACHED THE RWY. OVER THE RWY THE GLIDER WAS OBSERVED TO ROLL INTO A RIGHT TURN AS THE NOSE CAME UP. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE RIGHT WING STRUCK 3 PARKED ACFT AND COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN. DURING AN INTERVIEW ON THE EVENING OF THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT STATED THAT DUE TO A HIGH FAST APCH HE ATTEMPTED A RIGHT 270 DEGREE TURN IN ORDER TO LAND TO THE NORTH, JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT SUBMITTED ON 6-25-84 THE PILOT REFERS TO CONTROL INPUTS FROM THE PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT CAUSING THE ABNORMAL APPROACH AND AN UNCOMMANDED NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE JUST BEFORE COLLISION WITH THE PARKED GLIDER. THE PILOTS LOGS REFLECT 3 HRS IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL GLIDER. HE STATED THAT HE HAD FLOWN SIMILIAR GLIDERS IN THE LATE 1960'S AND HAD ABOUT 3.5 TOTAL HRS IN THE ACFT. HE FURTHER REPORTED TO INVESTIGATORS THAT HE WAS USED TO FLYING ANOTHER GLIDER IN WHICH 90 DEGREE FLAPS ALLOWED STEEPER APPROACHES AND MORE RAPID DESCENTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.