Spartanburg Downtown Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Spartanburg, South Carolina 29301
Saturday, April 29, 1995 16:05 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE GLIDER WAS NOT GAINING SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL. THE TOW PLANE PILOT RELEASED THE GLIDER, AND THE TAKEOFF WAS ABORTED. DUE TO OBSTRUCTIONS AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO MANEUVER THE GLIDER INTO AN OPEN AREA. THE LEFT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND FIRST, AND THE GLIDER GROUND LOOPED. STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE WINGS AND FUSELAGE RESULTED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHEN HE WAS EXITING THE GLIDER, HE NOTICED THAT THE SPEED BRAKES WERE IN THE DEPLOYED POSITION, WHICH CORRELATED WITH THE POSITION OF THE SPEED BRAKE HANDLE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's inadvertent use speed brakes during takeoff.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/29/1995
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1605
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City SPARTANBURG
Event State SOUTH CAROLINA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 29301
Event Date Year 1995
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport SPARTANBURG DOWNTOWN
Event Location Nearest Airport ID SPA
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 50
Airport Elevation 790
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1551 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 180
Weather Observation Facility ID GSP
Elevation of weather observation facility 972
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 15
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 30
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 24
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 8
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 100
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 174
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 1 1995 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1400
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 7 2000 4:11PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N152AT
NTSB Number ATL95LA093
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name LET
Aircraft Model L-23 SUPER BLANIK
Aircraft Series Identifier L-23 SUPER
Aircraft Serial Number 917924
Certified Max Gross Weight 1124
Aircraft Category Glider
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines --
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Nov 17 1994 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 10
Airframe Hours 100
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DAVID E. TREINIS
Aircraft Owner Street Address 142 HARMON FIELD RD.
Aircraft Owner City TRYON
Aircraft Owner State NC
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 28782
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name HARALD W. BEHREND
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 2217 EDGEFIELD RD.
Operator City SPARTANBURG
Operator State SC
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 29302
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code SPA
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 5
Runway Length 5200
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --