Let BLANIK L-13 N14420

Summary

On 13 March 2005 at about 22:04 local time, a Let BLANIK L-13 registered N14420, operated by Mark D. Shugg, was involved in an accident near DeLand, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 March 2005 at 22:04

Classification

Accident

Location

DeLand, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Bob Lee Flight Strip (1J6)

Coordinates

29.1042, -81.3136

Aircraft

Let BLANIK L-13

Registration

N14420

Category

Glider

Operator

Mark D. Shugg

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

DeLand → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA05LA077

1 person was seriously injured.

The failure of the pilot to maintain sufficient airspeed during landing, resulting in an inadvertent stall, undershoot and collision with the ground.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he entered downwind at 1,000 feet, selected spoilers and adjusted trim for "lighter stick pressure." He turned base then final, and maintained heading and approach speed down to approximately ten feet, where he felt a sudden "drop in audible airspeed" followed by a rapid descent to impact. Impact was at approximately 45 to 50 degrees nose down. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, who interviewed witnesses, said that the witnesses reported that the airplane was observed on final approach at an altitude of approximately 8 feet above ground level, then was observed to "shudder", and abruptly pitch nose down. The glider crashed on the runway approximately 500 feet from the threshold of runway 27. Examination of the flight controls revealed no evidence of pre-impact failure or malfunction. The elevator trim indicator for the rear seat was noted to be full nose-down, which correlated with the trim tab position. The battery used to power the variometer was secured with bungee cords on the top shelf behind the rear seat. The glider manufacturer recommends securing the battery with a material that is capable of withstanding 9 g's, but does not recommend using "rubber strip" material.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.