Let BLANIK L-13 accident near Hammonton, New Jersey, July 11, 1998
On July 11, 1998 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Let BLANIK L-13 (glider), registered N49CC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hammonton, New Jersey (Hammonton 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
Improper maintenance, which resulted in an over-pressurized landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 1998 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hammonton, New Jersey · Hammonton Airport
- 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
- N49CC · no longer on the register · serial 175226
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The glider pilot performed a landing to the runway. He described the landing as 'firm' and said he heard a 'bang' and scraping noises at touchdown and during rollout. Examination of the airframe revealed significant structural damage around the nose landing gear. The certificated airframe and powerplant mechanic who performed the repair work recorded his observations in a written statement. He said: 'The shock absorber was found to be full of fluid instead of half fluid and half 468 psi nitrogen. This resulted in the shock absorber being a rigid device. Because this device was improperly serviced sometime in the past, it transferred landing loads directly to the above named structures instead of dissipating them.'
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,360 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,225 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 837 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 3, 1998; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N81 at 7:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 3,600 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from ACY, 15 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.