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NYC08CA031

2007-11-11 · Louisburg, North Carolina, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 79NC

Current FAA registration · N284BA

Make / Model
LET L 33 SOLO
Year of manufacture
1994 · 13 years old at event
Engine
NONE NONE
Seats / Engines
1 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19950803
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A2DCF1

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The flight's encounter with an area of no thermal lift. Contributing factors to the accident were the pilot's inadvertent selection of unsuitable terrain with a hidden obstruction.

Factual narrative

After being towed to an altitude of 1,800 feet, the pilot of the LET L-33 Solo glider released the towline and began "thermaling" to the northwest of the airport. After flying for approximately 11 nautical miles uneventfully, the pilot turned back to the airport. Then while thermaling on the return leg, the glider lost altitude due to the "lift conditions," and the pilot performed an off-field landing. After touching down in a hay field, the glider struck a grass covered culvert and was substantially damaged. After being towed to an altitude of 1,800 feet, the pilot of the LET L-33 Solo glider released the towline and began "thermaling" to the northwest of the airport. After flying for approximately 11 nautical miles uneventfully, the pilot turned back to the airport. Then while thermaling on the return leg, the glider lost altitude due to the "lift conditions," and the pilot performed an off-field landing. After touching down in a hay field, the glider struck a grass covered culvert and was substantially damaged. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2007_NYC08CA031.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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