Let BLANIK L-13 accident near Mayville, New York, August 19, 1995
On August 19, 1995 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Let BLANIK L-13 (glider), registered N69AS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mayville, New York (Dart 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 pilot's improper flight control input during the landing roll in high grass, which resulted in a ground loop and subsequent wingtip damage.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 1995 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Mayville, New York · Dart Airport · 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 BLANIK L-1 · all BLANIK L-13s on the register
- Registration
- N69AS · registry record · serial 026941
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE GLIDER PILOT STATED, '...I NOTICED A SMALL PLANE MOVING DOWN RUNWAY 31. I WAS INTENDING TO LAND ON 13....I LANDED IN THE HIGH GRASS WEST OF THE RUNWAY, ABOUT 10 FEET FROM THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY....NOT WANTING TO ROLL ACROSS THE RUNWAY INTO THE POWERLINES, DITCH, OR ROAD, I APPLIED FULL RIGHT RUDDER AND DEPLOYED MY SPOILERS. I HADN'T NOTICED THAT MY RIGHT WING HAD NOT YET CLEARED THE HIGH GRASS....MY WINGTIP DIPPED, CAUGHT IN GROUND AND DAMAGED GLIDER. THE SOLE CAUSE OF THE DAMAGE TO THE GLIDER WAS THE GROUND LOOP INSTIGATED BY MY APPLYING RUDDER WHILE WING WAS STILL IN GRASS...' ADDITIONALLY, THE STUDENT PILOT HAD A TOTAL TIME OF ABOUT 18 HOURS, OF WHICH 1 HOUR WAS SOLO TIME.
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: 18 hours in all; 4 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,045 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 12, 1995; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,102 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: D79 at 9:05 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 2,750 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.