N65379

On April 6, 1996, at 1517 hours Pacific standard time, a Let Blanik L-13 Glider, N65379, landed short of runway 02 and collided with a barbed wire fence at Jean Airport, Jean, Nevada. The pilot was conducting a visual flight rules personal flight. The glider, operated by Las Vegas Valley Soaring Association, sustained substantial damage. Neither the certificated private pilot nor his passenger was injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Jean Airport at 1502 hours.

The pilot submitted the required Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1/2. He said that he received an aero tow to 2,000 feet above ground level (agl) when he released the tow. He circled northeast of the airport, but was unable to find any adequate thermal activity; he gained between 500 and 600 feet. He then flew to a ridge east of the airport, but still was unable to find any more thermal activities.

The pilot elected to turn to the airport and entered the downwind leg for runway 02 at 800 feet agl after announcing his intentions over the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF). The glider's altitude was between 500 and 600 feet when he entered the base leg and he deployed the spoilers.

The glider encountered a high sink rate after turning on final approach. The pilot retracted the spoilers, but he was unable to decrease the sink rate. Fearing that the glider would stall if he tried to "stretch the glide" by increasing the angle of attack, the pilot elected to land straight ahead short of the runway. The glider collided with the airport boundary fence.

The pilot also indicated in the accident report that the glider did not experience any preimpact malfunctions or failures. He also said, in part, that this accident ". . .could have been prevented if the downwind leg had not been flown so far down (e.g. base leg should have been turned sooner) to allow for large amount of sink encountered. . . ."