What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Released tow early due traffic. Impacted short of rwy trying to return. Broke off empannage. (.4)the glider pilot had released the glider from the tow plane prematurely at 1,500 feet MSL due to conflicting traffic. After 'thermalling with another glider for a while, he could not find much lift,' so he headed back to the airport to land. The pilot added that he was too low when he entered the downwind leg for runway 16; however, he estimated that he would be able to reach the approach end of the runway. In a written statement, he stated that he became distracted by a yellow glider that he thought was blocking the landing runway. The pilot reported that while maneuvering to land at the threshold for the 4,500-foot turf runway, he turned the aircraft onto the base leg prematurely; consequently the left wing impacted the ground nearly perpendicular to the runway near the threshold. Subsequently, the glider impacted the ground in a nose low attitude, bounced back in the air and impacted the ground in a tail low attitude, separating the tail section. (-23) on may 23, 1998, at 1518 CDT, a Grob 103 glider, N427BG, was substantially damaged when it undershot the runway while landing near Briggs, Texas. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. The glider was owned and operated by fault line flyers, inc., of round rock, Texas, under title 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed throughout the area for the local flight for which a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated from the fault line flyers Gliderport (TX23) near Briggs, Texas approximately 10 minutes prior to the accident. According to the pilot, he released the glider from the tow plane prematurely at 1,500 feet MSL due to conflicting traffic. After maneuvering for a few minutes, he headed back to the airport to land. The pilot added that he realized that he was too low when he entered the traffic pattern for runway 16, however, he estimated that he would be able to reach the approach end of the runway. The pilot reported that he undershot the 4,500 foot turf runway and the left wing impacted the ground short of the threshold. Subsequently, the glider impacted the ground in a nose low altitude, bounced back in the air and impacted the ground in a tail low attitude, separating the tail section.
As the FAA filed it
RELEASED TOW EARLY DUE TRAFFIC. IMPACTED SHORT OF RWY TRYING TO RETURN. BROKE OFF EMPANNAGE. (.4)THE GLIDER PILOT HAD RELEASED THE GLIDER FROM THE TOW PLANE PREMATURELY AT 1,500 FEET MSL DUE TO CONFLICTING TRAFFIC. AFTER 'THERMALLING WITH ANOTHER GLIDER FOR A WHILE, HE COULD NOT FIND MUCH LIFT,' SO HE HEADED BACK TO THE AIRPORT TO LAND. THE PILOT ADDED THAT HE WAS TOO LOW WHEN HE ENTERED THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR RUNWAY 16; HOWEVER, HE ESTIMATED THAT HE WOULD BE ABLE TO REACH THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY. IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT, HE STATED THAT HE BECAME DISTRACTED BY A YELLOW GLIDER THAT HE THOUGHT WAS BLOCKING THE LANDING RUNWAY. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE MANEUVERING TO LAND AT THE THRESHOLD FOR THE 4,500-FOOT TURF RUNWAY, HE TURNED THE AIRCRAFT ONTO THE BASE LEG PREMATURELY; CONSEQUENTLY THE LEFT WING IMPACTED THE GROUND NEARLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY NEAR THE THRESHOLD. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE GLIDER IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE, BOUNCED BACK IN THE AIR AND IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A TAIL LOW ATTITUDE, SEPARATING THE TAIL SECTION. (-23) ON MAY 23, 1998, AT 1518 CDT, A GROB 103 GLIDER, N427BG, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT UNDERSHOT THE RUNWAY WHILE LANDING NEAR BRIGGS, TEXAS. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE GLIDER WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY FAULT LINE FLYERS, INC., OF ROUND ROCK, TEXAS, UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED THROUGHOUT THE AREA FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT FOR WHICH A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE FAULT LINE FLYERS GLIDERPORT (TX23) NEAR BRIGGS, TEXAS APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE RELEASED THE GLIDER FROM THE TOW PLANE PREMATURELY AT 1,500 FEET MSL DUE TO CONFLICTING TRAFFIC. AFTER MANEUVERING FOR A FEW MINUTES, HE HEADED BACK TO THE AIRPORT TO LAND. THE PILOT ADDED THAT HE REALIZED THAT HE WAS TOO LOW WHEN HE ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 16, HOWEVER, HE ESTIMATED THAT HE WOULD BE ABLE TO REACH THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE UNDERSHOT THE 4,500 FOOT TURF RUNWAY AND THE LEFT WING IMPACTED THE GROUND SHORT OF THE THRESHOLD. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE GLIDER IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW ALTITUDE, BOUNCED BACK IN THE AIR AND IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A TAIL LOW ATTITUDE, SEPARATING THE TAIL SECTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.