Let L-13 accident near Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, March 14, 1992
On March 14, 1992 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Let L-13 (glider), registered N12CG, was destroyed in an accident near Lock Haven, Pennsylvania (W. T. Piper Mem. airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A TOW ROPE THAT BROKE AT LOW ALTITUDE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 14, 1992 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lock Haven, Pennsylvania · W. T. Piper Mem. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Let L-13 · all L-13s on the register
- Registration
- N12CG · registry record · serial 174525
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE GLIDER WAS DEPARTING ON RUNWAY 27 FOR A LOCAL PLEASURE FLIGHT. DURING THE TOWED TAKEOFF, THE TOW ROPE BROKE AT 220 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE PILOT CLEARED THE TOW PLANE BY MAKING A RIGHT TURN AND THEN TURNED BACK TO THE LEFT TO THE DEPARTURE FIELD. DUE TO OBSTRUCTIONS NEAR THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND ON THE GRASS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PAVED RUNWAY. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE GLIDER STRUCK A MOUND OF DIRT WHICH DESTROYED THE AIRPLANE.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 10,000 as pilot in command; 7,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,717 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 6, 1991; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,102 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number BFO92LA039.