Let SUPER BLANIK L-23 N381BA
11 July 2006 · Los Alamitos, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 11 July 2006 at about 22:00 local time, a Let SUPER BLANIK L-23 registered N381BA was involved in an accident near Los Alamitos, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 22:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Los Alamitos, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Los Alamitos Army Airfield (SLI)
- Coordinates
- 33.7900, -118.0519
- Aircraft
- Let SUPER BLANIK L-23
- Registration
- N381BA
- Category
- Glider
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Los Alamitos → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX06TA234
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
failure of the winch operator to maintain an adequate winch tow speed, resulting in a stall and hard landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The glider stalled and collided with terrain during takeoff. The operator was using a winch to launch the glider and as the winch operator watched it become airborne, he diverted his eyes from the winch gauges. When he looked back at them, he realized that he was accelerating the glider faster than desired and he reduced the winch's power momentarily. The glider stalled at 80 feet above ground level and it landed hard, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. The Glider Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-13) notes that a pilot should be ready for a takeoff any time that the towline is attached to the glider. It advises the pilot to smoothly raise the nose to the proper pitch attitude after liftoff, and watch for an increase in airspeed. The handbook says to avoid raising the nose too rapidly or steeply, as it may be difficult or impossible for the pilot to recover from the steep pitch attitude if the towline breaks or the launch mechanism loses power. It also says to avoid raising the nose too slowly, as the glider may gain excessive airspeed or not attain the planned release speed. If this situation occurs, it advises the pilot to pull the release, and land straight ahead.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Let SUPER accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Jun 2007 | Let SUPER BLANIK L-23 | Warren, Vermont, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 May 1994 | Let SUPER BLANIK L-33 | New Castle, Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Jul 2006 | Beechcraft A36 | Bakersfield, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jul 2006 | Learjet 55 | Van Nuys, California, United States | Clay Lacy Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 18 Dec 2006 | Beechcraft D95A | Gilroy, California, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 19 Oct 2006 | Boeing 737-790 | Los Angeles, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Oct 2006 | Williams BOWERS FLY BABY-1A | Oakdale, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Oct 2006 | Cessna 152 | Prunedale, California, United States | United Flight Services | Minor injuries | - |