Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Buena Vista Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Buena Vista, Colorado 81211
Friday, September 15, 1989 18:30 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PLT WAS GIVING A PASSENGER A GLIDER RIDE. THE FLT WAS LAUNCHED FROM A 9000 FT RWY (RWY 15) WITH AN AUTO TOW IN WIND THAT WAS FROM 300 DEG AT 4 KTS. A WITNESS RPRTD THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF SEEMED NORMAL UNTIL THE PLT RELEASED THE GLIDER AT ABOUT 300 FT AGL. THE PLT THEN BEGAN A LEVEL LEFT TURN WITH INCREASING BANK. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE GLIDER PITCHED DOWN & CRASHED AFTER COMPLETING ABOUT 300 DEG OF TURN. IMPACT OCCURRED ON AN INCLINED BANK AS THE GLIDER WAS IN AN EXTREME NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A PREMATURE RELEASE OF THE GLIDER TOW LINE BY THE GLIDER PILOT AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED, WHILE MANEUVERING BACK TOWARD THE RUNWAY, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/15/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1830 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | BUENA VISTA |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 81211 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | BUENA VISTA |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 7V1 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 7940 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| 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) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 6 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1500 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 15 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2056 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 39845 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 1:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3458 |
| NTSB Number | DEN89LA210 |
| 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-13 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | L-13 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 174216 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1102 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 13 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 30 |
| Airframe Hours | 680 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ROBIN M GIBBS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 1806 |
| Aircraft Owner City | BUENA VISTA |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 81211 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | CHUCK GIBBS |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | PO BOX 1806 |
| Operator City | BUENA VISTA |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 81211 |
| 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 | 7V1 |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1825 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 7V1 |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 15 |
| Runway Length | 9000 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |