Let Blanik L-13 accident near Sparks, Nevada, May 24, 2004
On May 24, 2004 at about 2:05 am local time, a Let Blanik L-13 (glider), registered N53AS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sparks, Nevada (Air Sailing Gliderport 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 student pilot's misjudged altitude, distance, and speed, and failure to attain the proper touchdown point, resulting in an overshoot of the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 2004 · about 2:05 am local time
- Place
- Sparks, Nevada · Air Sailing Gliderport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Let Blanik L-13 · all Blanik L-13s on the register
- Registration
- N53AS · no longer on the register · serial 027057
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A glider landed long and collided with high vegetation. While on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, the pilot noted that he was close to the runway. During final approach the glider was above the glide slope, and the pilot elected to deploy full spoilers and configure the glider in a forward slip. Despite his efforts to reduce altitude and airspeed, the pilot could not make the runway and landed the glider in sagebrush located past the end of the runway. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the aircraft.
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: student
- Flight time: 45 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NV23 Sparks NV
- Destination: NV23 Sparks NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from RNO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N53AS the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.