# Accident 19981005028239A: Grob G103CTWINIII, Warren, VT, October 5, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 5, 1998, 14:30 local time
- Place: Warren, VT
- Airport: Warren/Sugarbush Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 44.1174° N, 72.8270° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at WARREN-SUGARBUSH (0B7), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.1174&lon=-72.8270&mi=10
- Aircraft: N103VT, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N103VT-2000-05-01) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Burkhart Grob G103C TWIN III ACRO (registry code 1660207, https://openairdocs.org/model/burkhart-grob-g103c-twin-iii-acro) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: GROB G103CTWINIII
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 859 total, 42 in this make and model, 80 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD99FA004](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD99FA004) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981005028239A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

GLIDER WAS BEING TOWED BY N5213G, A CESSNA ACFT WHEN THE TWO COLLIDED AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT OF N103VT HAS SERIOUS INJ. AND PASSENGER HAS FATAL INJ;(.4) DURING TAKEOFF FOR A GLIDER TOW OPERATION, THE TOWPLANE AND THE GLIDER BOTH BECAME AIRBORNE. AN FAA INSPECTOR WITNESSED THE TAKEOFF AND SAID HIS ATTENTION WAS DRAWN TO THE 'ERRATIC PITCH CHANGES' OF THE GLIDER. THE GLIDER PILOT'S CANOPY WAS OPEN, AND THE PILOT REPEATEDLY ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE THE CANOPY.  PITCH CHANGES AND CLIMBS ABOVE THE TOW PLANE ACCOMPANIED EACH ATTEMPT TO CLOSE THE CANOPY.  AS THE TOWROPE REACHED A VERTICAL POSITION, THE TOWPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND, NOSED OVER, AND CAME TO REST INVERTED.  THE TOWROPE SEPARATED, AND THE GLIDER CONTINUED PAST THE TOWPLANE, ROLLED LEFT TO AN INVERTED POSITION AND IMPACTED THE GROUND.  THE TOWROPE IN USE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT EMPLOYED A 'SWEITZER RING' TO ATTACH AT THE TOW PLANE AND A 'TOST RING' TO ATTACH AT THE GLIDER.  BOTH RINGS WERE ATTACHED TO THEIR RESPECTIVE AIRPLANES AND BOTH RELEASE MECHANISMS WERE OPERATIONAL.  ACCORDING TO THE 1998 SOARING FLIGHT MANUAL SPONSORED BY THE SOARING SOCIETY OF AMERICA: 'WHEN THE SAILPLANE IS TOO HIGH, IT CAN PULL THE TAIL OF THE TOWPLA NE UP, MAKING IT DIFFICULT, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE, FOR THE TOWPLANE TO TAKE OFF... IF CORRECTIVE ACTION IS NOT TAKEN, THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE FOR THE TOW PILOT IS TO RELEASE THE TOWLINE...IF FOR ANY REASON, THE SAILPLANE PILOT LOSES SIGHT OF THE TOWPLANE, HE SHOULD RELEASE IMMEDIATELY.' (-23) ON OCTOBER 5,1998, AT 1430 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 305A, N5213G, AND A BURKHART GROB G103C GLIDER, N103VT, WERE DESTROYED AFTER COLLISION WITH TERRAIN DURING TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 04 AT THE WARREN SUGARBUSH AIRPORT (0B7), WARREN, VERMONT.  THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT IN THE CESSNA RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES.  IN THE GROB, THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES AND THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED AT 0B7, AT 1430.  NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91.  THE AIRPLANES WERE INVOLVED IN A GLIDER TOW OPERATION.  THE GLIDER PILOT WAS TO PROVIDE A SIGHTSEEING TOUR OF THE SEASONAL FOLIAGE TO THE PASSENGER.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB IAD99FA004](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD99FA004), Oct 5, 1998: Burkhart Grob G 103C (N103VT), Warren, VT, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The glider pilot's failure to perform the emergency tow release and abort the takeoff. A factor in the accident was the glider pilot's improper decision to make repeated attempts to close the canopy…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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