Let L 23 SUPER BLANIK accident near Clermont, Florida, December 23, 2017
On December 23, 2017 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 2001 Let L 23 SUPER BLANIK (glider), registered N389BA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Clermont, Florida (Seminole Lake airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing flare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 23, 2017 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Clermont, Florida · Seminole Lake · 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 2001 · all L 23 SUPER BLANIKs on the register
- Registration
- N389BA · registry record · serial 018803
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, during the first solo landing, the glider was "not straight" for the flare, and she attempted to correct with right rudder. Subsequently, she overcorrected, and the glider veered right and struck a hangar. The glider sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The student 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
- Miscellaneous/other during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Airport structure › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 10 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,094 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,124 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: 6FL0 Groveland FL at 3:40 pm
- Destination: 6FL0 Groveland FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,000 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from KISM, 22 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 February 15, 2018. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Pictures (Courtesy of Flying Club) | PDF, 2 pages | 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.