Let L 23 SUPER BLANIK N296BA

Summary

On 1 March 2020 at about 20:00 local time, a Let L 23 SUPER BLANIK registered N296BA, operated by Huntsville Soaring Club, was involved in an accident near Huntsville, Alabama, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 March 2020 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Huntsville, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Moontown (3M5)

Coordinates

34.7472, -86.4608

Aircraft

Let L 23 SUPER BLANIK

Registration

N296BA

Category

Glider

Year built

1994

Operator

Huntsville Soaring Club

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Huntsville → Huntsville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA20CA116

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain glider control and his exceedance of the glider's critical angle of attack while maneuvering in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the glider pilot, the purpose of the flight was to release from the tow about 300 ft above ground level, return to the airport, and land on the departure runway in the opposite direction, which would simulate the response to a "rope-break" emergency during the initial climb. After departure from the runway and release from the tow, the pilot completed a 270° turn on the north side of the runway and had to make another 90°, left base-to-final turn to return toward the runway. While still on the base leg, the glider encountered an 11-knot wind from the south, gusting to 18 knots. The pilot believed that the glider must have encountered "wind shear" as he "lost all elevator control," and the glider then impacted terrain. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector who conducted a postaccident examination of the glider reported that he established flight control continuity. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.