Let L-13 N82756

Summary

On 1 April 1989 at about 23:00 local time, a Let L-13 registered N82756, operated by Sailplane Enterprise, was involved in an accident near Hemet, California, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 April 1989 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Hemet, California, United States

Nearest airport

Hemet-Ryan (HMT)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Let L-13

Registration

N82756

Category

Glider

Operator

Sailplane Enterprise

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX89LA145

Nobody was injured.

INADEQUATE CREW COORDINATION BETWEEN THE GROUND LINEMAN AND THE BLANIK PILOT, AND FAILURE OF THE BLANIK PILOT TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE BETWEEN HIS AIRCRAFT AND THE PARKED GLIDER. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PROXIMITY OF THE PARKED GLIDER TO THE RUNWAY.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE RGT WING OF BLANIK L-13, N82756, HIT THE LEFT WING OF ANOTHER GLIDER (LS-1), WHICH WAS PARKED NEAR THE RGT EDGE OF THE RWY, AS THE BLANIK WAS STARTING TO BE LAUNCHED BEHIND A TOW PLANE. ACCORDING TO THE WING WALKER, HE HAD HOOKED THE TOW ROPE TO THE BLANIK & WAS LIFTING THE (RGT) WING, WHEN HE REALIZED THE LS-1 WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE RWY. HE SAID HE PUT THE WING DOWN & SHOUTED FOR A RELEASE AS HE HAD BEEN TAUGHT, BUT THE BLANIK PLT FANNED THE RUDDER TO SIGNAL THE TOW PLT FOR THE LAUNCH TO BEGIN. ACCORDING TO THE BLANIK PLT, THE WING WALKER HAD RAISED THE WING (A SIGNAL TO BGN THE LAUNCH), THEN TRIED TO STOP THE LAUNCH, BUT DID NOT USE THE PROPER 'CUT' SIGNAL. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE LAUNCH BEGAN & THE BLANIK VEERED SLIGHTLY RGT & HIT THE LS-1 BEFORE THE BLANIK PLT RELEASED THE TOW ROPE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.