Let Blanik L-13 accident near Hemet, California, October 6, 2007
On October 6, 2007 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Let Blanik L-13 (glider), registered N510CS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hemet, California (Hemet-Ryan 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 failure to maintain a proper descent rate due to his failure to close the air brake and/or partially retract the flaps during an encounter with lost lift on final approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 6, 2007 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hemet, California · Hemet-Ryan
- 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
- N510CS · no longer on the register · serial 025423
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot encountered a loss of lift during the latter part of the pattern and subsequently collided with the airport boundary fence on final approach. The pilot stated that during the downwind leg, he partially deployed the flaps, and partially opened the air brake. He encountered a significant loss of lift on the final leg, but could not recall whether he closed the air brake. A photograph taken immediately after the accident by the pilot's flight instructor showed the air brake to be open, with the flaps deployed. The pilot was checked out by his flight instructor to fly the L-13 glider earlier that day. The accident flight was his first solo flight in this glider type.
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: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,263 hours in all; 2 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,975 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HMT Hemet CA
- Destination: HMT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 2,045 ft by 25 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from RIV, 15 miles away
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX08CA003.