Accident Overview
On June 21, 2023, about 1530 eastern daylight time, a Let L-23 Super Blanik glider, registration N10BR, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Richmond Field Airport (69G), Gregory, Michigan. The flight instructor sustained serious injuries, and the student pilot received minor injuries. The glider was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight.
The glider came to rest approximately 3,500 ft northwest of the north end of the runway at 69G.
Flight Details
The student pilot reported that he was flying the glider until about 10 minutes before the accident, when the flight instructor took over control and began looking for thermals to gain altitude. The student stated that the flight instructor was mostly quiet until he announced they would perform an off-field landing. The glider flew across a tree line at about 150 ft above ground level and turned to land in a bean field. The student had no further recollection of the accident. The flight instructor also reported having no recollection of the flight.
Damage Examination
The glider sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. Postaccident examination revealed that the forward fuselage was crushed upward and rearward, and the outboard 6 ft of the left wing had separated. The separation point showed signatures indicating upward bending of the tip. The damage to the glider was consistent with a nose-low, left-wing-low impact. Flight control continuity was verified from the cockpit to all control surfaces. No preimpact anomalies were detected.