Let BLANIK L-13 accident near Sylvania, Wisconsin, July 9, 1999
On July 9, 1999, a Let BLANIK L-13 (glider), registered N3209F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sylvania, Wisconsin (Sylvania Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the misjudged planned approach and the evasive maneuver attempted by the pilot-in-command. A factor was the presence of trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 1999
- Place
- Sylvania, Wisconsin · Sylvania Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Let BLANIK L-13 BLANIK L-1 · all BLANIK L-13s on the register
- Registration
- N3209F · no longer on the register · serial 26526
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) reported that she was demonstrating a landing approach in the glider without the use of dive-brakes. The CFI stated that that the glider landed long, and during the landing roll, it became evident that the aircraft would not stop before the end of the runway. The CFI reported that in order to avoid overrunning into a corn field at the end of the runway, she deployed the dive-brakes and turned the aircraft to the right towards an open flat field. The aircraft impacted between two trees on the right side of the runway. Inspection of the wreckage revealed no pre-accident flight control anomalies.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: glider; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,063 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 76 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 1,023 as pilot in command; 24 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,206 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 26, 1998; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C89 at 11:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 2,360 ft by 120 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from RAC, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.