What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On August 23, 1999, at 1510 hours pacific daylight time, a burkhart Grob g 103 twin ii, N8013K, landed hard after encountering a dust devil at the Crystal gliderport in Llano, California. The glider, operated by great western soaring school, Llano, was substantially damaged. The student glider pilot, who held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating, was not injured. The local area instructional flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 and had originated from the Crystal gliderport about 1350. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot reported that he was preparing to land on runway 25. He stated that the tetrahedron indicated that the wind was coming straight down the runway. As he was flaring approximately 10 feet above the runway surface, he observed a dust devil directly in front of him. He applied down elevator control but the glider ascended about 50 feet above the ground into the dust devil. The pilot stated that the glider stalled and landed hard on the runway numbers. Witnesses reported that the large dust devil "exploded from the runway in the path of the landing glider " just prior to touchdown. The glider's right wing tip caught the ground and the glider ground looped. The empennage broke off at the aft fuselage boom just forward of the fin. The tail wheel and nose wheel tires blew out.(.4)as the student pilot began his landing flare approximately 10 feet above the runway surface, he observed a dust devil move onto the runway directly in front of him. He applied down elevator control but the glider ascended about 50 feet above the ground into the dust devil. The glider stalled and landed hard on the runway, then ground looped. Ground witnesses observed a 'large and violent dust devil' touching down on the runway in the path of the landing glider just as it was in the landing flare.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON AUGUST 23, 1999, AT 1510 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BURKHART GROB G 103 TWIN II, N8013K, LANDED HARD AFTER ENCOUNTERING A DUST DEVIL AT THE CRYSTAL GLIDERPORT IN LLANO, CALIFORNIA. THE GLIDER, OPERATED BY GREAT WESTERN SOARING SCHOOL, LLANO, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE STUDENT GLIDER PILOT, WHO HELD A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH AN AIRPLANE SINGLE-ENGINE LAND RATING, WAS NOT INJURED. THE LOCAL AREA INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AND HAD ORIGINATED FROM THE CRYSTAL GLIDERPORT ABOUT 1350. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS PREPARING TO LAND ON RUNWAY 25. HE STATED THAT THE TETRAHEDRON INDICATED THAT THE WIND WAS COMING STRAIGHT DOWN THE RUNWAY. AS HE WAS FLARING APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY SURFACE, HE OBSERVED A DUST DEVIL DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HIM. HE APPLIED DOWN ELEVATOR CONTROL BUT THE GLIDER ASCENDED ABOUT 50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND INTO THE DUST DEVIL. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE GLIDER STALLED AND LANDED HARD ON THE RUNWAY NUMBERS. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE LARGE DUST DEVIL "EXPLODED FROM THE RUNWAY IN THE PATH OF THE LANDING GLIDER " JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. THE GLIDER'S RIGHT WING TIP CAUGHT THE GROUND AND THE GLIDER GROUND LOOPED. THE EMPENNAGE BROKE OFF AT THE AFT FUSELAGE BOOM JUST FORWARD OF THE FIN. THE TAIL WHEEL AND NOSE WHEEL TIRES BLEW OUT.(.4)AS THE STUDENT PILOT BEGAN HIS LANDING FLARE APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY SURFACE, HE OBSERVED A DUST DEVIL MOVE ONTO THE RUNWAY DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HIM. HE APPLIED DOWN ELEVATOR CONTROL BUT THE GLIDER ASCENDED ABOUT 50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND INTO THE DUST DEVIL. THE GLIDER STALLED AND LANDED HARD ON THE RUNWAY, THEN GROUND LOOPED. GROUND WITNESSES OBSERVED A 'LARGE AND VIOLENT DUST DEVIL' TOUCHING DOWN ON THE RUNWAY IN THE PATH OF THE LANDING GLIDER JUST AS IT WAS IN THE LANDING FLARE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.