Let L-23 SUPER BLANIK N238SB

Summary

On 26 April 2009 at about 19:10 local time, a Let L-23 SUPER BLANIK registered N238SB, operated by Adrian Soaring Club, Inc., was involved in an accident near Adrian, Michigan, 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

26 April 2009 at 19:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Adrian, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Lenawee County Airport (KADG)

Coordinates

41.8678, -84.0772

Aircraft

Let L-23 SUPER BLANIK

Registration

N238SB

Category

Glider

Operator

Adrian Soaring Club, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Adrian → Adrian

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN09CA269

Nobody was injured.

The flight instructor's inadequate compensation for the strong, gusting crosswind during landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's decision to attempt flight with known adverse weather approaching the airport.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Before the accident flight, the glider flight instructor observed adverse weather approaching the airport from the south. He wanted to demonstrate a crosswind landing to his student before ceasing glider operations due to the adverse weather. The glider released from the tow airplane around 1,000 feet above ground level and then proceeded on downwind for runway 29. While on final approach, the flight instructor had difficulty maintaining proper runway alignment due to a strong, gusting crosswind. As a result, he elected to land the glider in a grassy area immediately north of the runway. He noted that his forward visibility was limited by heavy rain. The glider impacted a taxiway sign during the landing, substantially damaging the left wing. Weather radar and surface observations indicated that the airport was affected by a thunderstorm shortly after the glider departed on the local area flight. The thunderstorm produced heavy rain, lightning, and strong winds. During the accident flight, the airport's automated surface observing system recorded a peak wind from 220 degrees magnetic at 42 knots. The glider's maximum demonstrated crosswind component for safe approach, landing and aerotow launching was 16 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.