Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
California City Muni Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
California City, California 93505
Saturday, April 2, 1983 10:15 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
DURING FLT, THE GLIDER SUSTAINED IN-FLT STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WHILE MANEUVERING AT AN ALTITUDE OF APRX 17,500 FT MSL IN THE VICINITY OF CALIFORNIA CITY, CA. DURING A PRELIMINARY VERBAL STATEMENT TO AN FAA INSPECTOR, THE PLT STATED THAT HE HAD DONE A COUPLE OF LOOPS. HE SAID HE HAD JUST RECOVERED TO LEVEL FLT WHEN HE HEARD A COUPLE OF LOUD BANGS, THEN FELT A SEVERE VIBRATION IN THE CONTROLS. LATER, THE PLT INSISTED THAT NO AEROBATIC MANEUVERS WERE PERFORMED, BUT THAT HE HAD ENCOUNTER TURBULENCE & HAD 'FLOWN THRU A ROTOR.' WRINKLES WERE FOUND IN THE SKIN ON THE AFT FUSELAGE & EMPENNAGE, THE VERTICLE STABILIZER WAS DEFORMED & THE LEFT HORIZONAL STABILIZER & ELEVATOR HAD SEVERAL AREAS OF DEFORMATION. SURFACE WINDS IN THE AREA WERE FROM 270 DEG AT 22 GUSTING 28 KTS. PEAK SURFACE WINDS WERE FROM 290 DEG AT 42 KTS. STANDING LENTICULAR CLOUDS WERE REPORTED TOPPING THE MOUNTAINS & SIGMET JULIET 4 WAS IN EFFECT CAUTIONING OCCASIONAL SEVERE TURBULENCE BELOW 16,000 FT MSL.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/2/1983 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1015 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | CALIFORNIA CITY |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93505 |
| Event Date Year | 1983 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | CALIFORNIA CITY MUNI |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | L71 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 20 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 260 |
| Airport Elevation | 2437 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 950 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 160 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | WJF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2347 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 18 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| 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) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 270 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 22 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 28 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 832 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 21039 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 9:15AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N99965 |
| NTSB Number | LAX83LA234 |
| 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 | 025918 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1100 |
| 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 | Jul 25 1982 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 58 |
| Airframe Hours | 613 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WILLIAM A. KOML |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 40011 167TH EAST |
| Aircraft Owner City | PALMDALE |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 93550 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | AQUARIAN SOARING |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 6301 LINDBERG BLVD. |
| Operator City | CALIFORNIA CITY |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 93505 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | L71 |
| Departure City | CALIFORNIA CITY |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 945 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| 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 | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:36AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |