# Accident 20011207033699A: Grob G102IIIB, Banning, CA, December 7, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 7, 2001, 14:00 local time - Place: Banning, CA - Airport: Banning Municipal Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Final Approach - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 33.9128° N, 116.8639° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.9128&lon=-116.8639&mi=10 - Aircraft: N102FC, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N102FC-2005-03-17) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G102 CLUB ASTIR IIIB (registry code 1660106, https://openairdocs.org/model/burkhart-grob-flugzeugbau-g102-club-astir-iiib) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: GROB G102IIIB - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 5,000 total, 40 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX02LA042](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX02LA042) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20011207033699A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON DECEMBER 7, 2001, ABOUT 1408 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A BURKHART GROB FLUGZEUGAB, G102 CLUB ASTIR IIIB, N102FC, OPERATED BY THE ORANGE COUNTY SOARING ASSOCIATION, HEMET, CALIFORNIA, ENCOUNTERED WIND GUSTS ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 08 AT THE BANNING MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, BANNING, CALIFORNIA. THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE GLIDER AND CRASHED INTO AN OPEN FIELD ABOUT 1 MILE SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT. THE GLIDER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, AND THE COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATED PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT THAT WAS PERFORMED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM HEMET AT AN UNDETERMINED TIME. WITHIN MINUTES OF THE ACCIDENT, A BANNING POLICE DEPARTMENT OFFICER ARRIVED ON SCENE AND INTERVIEWED SEVERAL WITNESSES. THE WITNESSES REPORTED OBSERVING THE GLIDER APPROACH THE AIRPORT. THE OFFICER STATED THAT THE CONSENSUS FROM THE WITNESSES WAS THAT DURING THE GLIDER'S APPROACH, AT TIMES THE GLIDER WAS STATIONARY OVER THE GROUND. THAT IS, ITS FORWARD SPEED SEEMED TO COMPLETELY STOP. AS THE GLIDER DESCENDED, ITS WINGS ROCKED BACK AND FORTH. SUDDENLY, A WING LOWERED AND THE GLIDER APPEARED TO SLIDE QUICKLY DOWN UNTIL IMPACTING THE OPEN TERRAIN. THE OFFICER ADDITIONALLY REPORTED THAT THE WIND WAS BLOWING EXTREMELY HARD FROM THE EAST. BLOWING DUST WAS PREVALENT. THE OFFICER ESTIMATED THAT THE MINIMUM WIND SPEED WAS ABOUT 20 KNOTS, AND THERE WERE OCCASIONAL WIND GUSTS TO ABOUT 50 KNOTS. (-23) ON DECEMBER 7, 2001, AT APPROXIMATELY 1400 HOURS THE GLIDER AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED STRONG GUSTY WINDS COMING FROM THE EAST ON FINAL APPROACH INTO BANNING MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND CRASHED INTO AN OPEN FIELD APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE SOUTHWEST OF BANNING MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED.(.4) ON DECEMBER 7, 2001, ABOUT 1408 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A BURKHART GROB FLUGZEUGAB, G102 CLUB ASTIR IIIB, N102FC, ENCOUNTERED WIND GUSTS ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 08 AT THE BANNING MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, BANNING, CALIFORNIA. THE GLIDER DESCENDED RAPIDLY AND IMPACTED INTO AN OPEN FIELD ABOUT 1 MILE SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT. THE GLIDER WAS OPERATED BY THE ORANGE COUNTY SOARING ASSOCIATION, HEMET, CALIFORNIA, AND IT WAS DESTROYED. THE COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATED PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS P REVAILED. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT THAT WAS PERFORMED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM HEMET ABOUT 1300. WITHIN MINUTES OF THE ACCIDENT, A BANNING POLICE DEPARTMENT OFFICER ARRIVED ON SCENE AND INTERVIEWED SEVERAL WITNESSES. THE WITNESSES REPORTED OBSERVING THE EASTBOUND GLIDER APPROACHING THE AIRPORT. IT WAS FLYING INTO AN EASTERLY WIND. THE OFFICER STATED THAT THE CONSENSUS FROM THE WITNESSES WAS THAT, AT TIMES DURING THE GLIDER'S APPROACH, ITS FORWARD SPEED APPEARED TO STOP. AS THE GLIDER DESCENDED, ITS WINGS ROCKED BACK AND FORTH. SUDDENLY, A WING LOWERED AND THE GLIDER APPEARED TO FALL NEARLY STRAIGHT DOWN FROM AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 60 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE OFFICER ADDITIONALLY REPORTED THAT THE WIND WAS BLOWING EXTREMELY HARD FROM THE EAST. BLOWING DUST WAS PREVALENT, AND PERSONS STANDING NEAR THE GLIDER WERE SWAYING IN THE WIND. THE OFFICER ESTIMATED THAT THE MINIMUM CONSTANT WIND SPEED WAS BETWEEN 20 AND 25 KNOTS. THERE WERE GUSTS BETWEEN 35 AND 40 KNOTS. ## 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 LAX02LA042](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX02LA042), Dec 7, 2001: Burkhart Grob G102 Club Astir Iiib (N102FC), Banning, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: On final approach, the pilot's failure to maintain adequate aircraft airspeed and control during an encounter with the gusting high wind. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.