Let L 23 SUPER BLANIK N317BA

Summary

On 9 June 2018 at about 17:15 local time, a Let L 23 SUPER BLANIK registered N317BA, operated by Teton AvJet, LLC, was involved in an accident near Moose, Wyoming, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 June 2018 at 17:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Moose, Wyoming, United States

Coordinates

43.7247, -110.8192

Aircraft

Let L 23 SUPER BLANIK

Registration

N317BA

Category

Glider

Year built

1997

Operator

Teton AvJet, LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Driggs → Driggs

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN18FA217

2 people died.

The pilot's encounter with atmospheric conditions that resulted in a loss of lift and a subsequent loss of control near terrain that precluded recovery. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to follow the operator's published tour flight procedures regarding flight over the national park and minimum altitudes over and distance from terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and one passenger departed on a sightseeing tour flight in the glider. After being released from the tow airplane about 13,800 ft mean sea level (msl), the glider pilot proceeded to fly over a national park near mountainous terrain. A video recording of the flight from the passenger's cell phone recorded the pilot state, "this is not good" twice and "I'm in trouble" as the glider neared the terrain. The glider impacted terrain between two mountain peaks (elevations about 12,800 ft msl and 12,500 ft msl) at an elevation about 11,000 ft msl. A review of weather data found upper level winds were from the south-southwest, which likely provided no significant orographic lift in the area of the accident site on the western side of the mountains and likely provided some downdraft activity due to the range immediately south. It is likely that the pilot maneuvered the glider close to terrain in an attempt to attain lift, but encountered atmospheric conditions that resulted in a loss of lift, a loss of control, and a subsequent impact with terrain. According to the operator's tour flight procedures, aircraft were not permitted to fly within the boundaries of the national park and were to maintain a minimum altitude of 2,000 ft above terrain. It is likely that compliance with the company's published procedures would have ensured terrain separation during the flight even in the event of an encounter with adverse wind conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.