Let L 23 SUPER BLANIK accident near Hampshire, Illinois, September 30, 2017
On September 30, 2017 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 1993 Let L 23 SUPER BLANIK (glider), registered N260BA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Hampshire, Illinois (Sky Soaring 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
The pilot’s improper landing flare and subsequent failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 2017 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hampshire, Illinois · Sky Soaring · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Let L 23 SUPER BLANIK NO SERIES, built 1993 · all L 23 SUPER BLANIKs on the register
- Registration
- N260BA · no longer on the register · serial 928010
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The glider pilot reported that, while in the base leg in the traffic pattern, the glider was "fast and too high." He added that, during the landing, he landed long, the glider ran off the end of the runway, and the left wing struck a storage trailer parked on the left. The glider sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Landing area overshoot during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Residence/building › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 840 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 20, 2016
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,124 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Sky Soaring INC
The flight
- Departed from: 55LL Hampshire IL at 8:00 pm
- Destination: 55LL Hampshire IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.35 inHg
- Observation at 8:35 pm from KDKB, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 20, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.