Let Blanik L 33 Solo accident near Windsor, Virginia, October 3, 2001
On October 3, 2001 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Let Blanik L 33 Solo (glider), registered N388BA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Windsor, Virginia. 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 inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in a loose battery charger becoming entangled in the rudder pedals during a spin recovery, and a subsequent overstress of the glider. Factors included the loose battery charger, and the non-standard battery charging procedure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 2001 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Windsor, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Let Blanik L 33 Solo
- Registration
- N388BA · no longer on the register · serial 010514
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot completed a preflight inspection of the glider, including the cockpit area. After a tow release at 3,000 feet msl, the pilot flew for about 1 hour. To descend, the pilot completed a spin to the right. He then induced a spin to the left, and heard a loud bang when an object struck the inside of the canopy. Then pilot then saw the object float forward and settle into the area where the rudder pedals were located. As he tried to apply opposite rudder, he felt a binding in the pedals. He had sufficient rudder authority to stop the spin's rotation; however, the airplane's dive angle and airspeed had increased significantly. The pilot "pulled back fairly hard" on the control stick, and as the airspeed climbed to 100-110 knots, he recovered the glider. The object that became entangled in the rudder pedals was subsequently identified as a transformer used for charging the glider's battery. The transformer was not normally used in the glider for recharging. It had been borrowed from another club member, and "someone" had used it to charge the battery via a long extension cord. The battery would have normally been disconnected, and put on a small transformer/charger in the club office.
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: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 236 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 219 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 18, 1999
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 106 hours
- Maximum gross weight: 749 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3VA8 Windsor VA at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 4:51 pm from ORF, 20 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.
Other NTSB records under N388BA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 NYC02LA027.