# Accident 19990823025569A: Grob G103ATWIN2, Llano, CA, August 23, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 23, 1999, 15:10 local time
- Place: Llano, CA
- Airport: Crystal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.4901° N, 117.7706° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.4901&lon=-117.7706&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8013K, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8013K) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Burkhart Grob G 103 TWIN II (registry code 1660203, https://openairdocs.org/model/burkhart-grob-g-103-twin-ii) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: GROB G103ATWIN2
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 136 total, 13 in this make and model, 13 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX99LA285](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA285) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990823025569A

## Narrative

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

(.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.

## 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 LAX99LA285](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA285), Aug 23, 1999: Burkhart Grob G 103 Twin II (N8013K), Llano, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's encounter with a sudden and violent dust devil, which caused the student pilot to lose control of the aircraft during the landing flare/touchdown.

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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