Let L 33 SOLO accident near Arlington, Washington, May 11, 2020
On May 11, 2020 at about 7:53 pm local time, a 1999 Let L 33 SOLO (glider), registered N355BA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Arlington, Washington (Arlington Muni 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 loss of lift while on final approach which resulted in a hard off-airport landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 11, 2020 · about 7:53 pm local time
- Place
- Arlington, Washington · Arlington Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Let L 33 SOLO No Series, built 1999 · all L 33 SOLOs on the register
- Registration
- N355BA · no longer on the register · serial 990506
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The glider pilot reported that while on final approach to land, the ground speed decreased and the glider descended faster than expected. Unable to reach the runway, he diverted to a gravel area to land out. The glider landed hard, and during the landing roll he heard a loud bang that was later identified as a pothole. The glider sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of lift during landing defining event
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Thermal lifting › Effect on operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, student
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,561 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 814.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 8, 2020
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: AWO Arlington WA at 7:21 pm
- Destination: AWO Arlington WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 5,332 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KPAE, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 WPR20CA151.