Let BLANIK L-13 accident near Lehi, Utah, July 23, 2002
On July 23, 2002 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Let BLANIK L-13 (glider), registered N48038, was destroyed in an accident near Lehi, Utah (Cedar Valley Airpark airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's inadequate in-flight planning resulting in the glider impacting terrain short of the runway, and the pilot's subsequent abrupt handling of the glider when it became airborne again, which resulted in a hard second landing. A contributing factor was the downdraft weather condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 2002 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lehi, Utah · Cedar Valley Airpark · 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 · all BLANIK L-13s on the register
- Registration
- N48038 · no longer on the register · serial 026047
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The glider pilot said that he approached the north end of runway 17 for landing. He said "there is a nominal amount of sinking air at all times near the North end of the runway. The day of the incident the sink was far greater than expected." He said that he landed approximately 200 feet short of the runway, and impacted a 3 foot high berm next to an irrigation ditch (which ran perpendicular to the runway) at approximately 50 knots. The glider was "catapulted" over the ditch. The pilot immediately nosed the aircraft down to avoid a stall. "The glider landed flat and hard, crushing the landing gear, then skidding to a halt 75 feet past the runway apron." The glider's keel beam and wing spars were broken.
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: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 85 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,131 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 26, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 1,102 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: PRIV Lehi UT at 7:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 4,700 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 11 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from SLC, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.