20070513014879A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Grob G103TWNASTIR · Franconia, NH · May 13, 2007

Date: May 13, 2007 · 15:30 local
Place: Franconia, NH
Airport: Franconia
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N39783
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC07CA118
Reported as: Grob G103TWNASTIR
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 123 total6 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days

N39783Registration cancelled Sep 12, 2013 · Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G103 TWIN ASTIRS/N 3805 · Built 1983 Airframe modelBurkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G103 TWIN ASTIR Engine modelNONENone

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On final, at 300' AGL, the aircraft entered rising air. The pilot put the aircraft in a left wing down full slip, with full spoiler deployment. The aircraft did not descend significantly, despite being halfway down the runway (sod). The pilot elected to fly through the rising air to get to the corresponding descending airmass. Once in the descending airmass, the aircraft descended quickly and hit the ground with 1/4 runway remaining. The aircraft bounced, became airborne, and to avoid debris at the end of the runway, the pilot closed the spoilers and elected to land in the trees straight ahead. Before that could happen, a right crosswind pushed the aircraft left of runway centerline where the left wing contacted trees approx. 150' from the end of the runway at approx. 40' altitude. After tree impact, the aircraft spun left and impacted the ground at a 45 degree nose down attitude, with the nose pointing back to the runway.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON FINAL, AT 300' AGL, THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED RISING AIR. THE PILOT PUT THE AIRCRAFT IN A LEFT WING DOWN FULL SLIP, WITH FULL SPOILER DEPLOYMENT. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT DESCEND SIGNIFICANTLY, DESPITE BEING HALFWAY DOWN THE RUNWAY (SOD). THE PILOT ELECTED TO FLY THROUGH THE RISING AIR TO GET TO THE CORRESPONDING DESCENDING AIRMASS. ONCE IN THE DESCENDING AIRMASS, THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED QUICKLY AND HIT THE GROUND WITH 1/4 RUNWAY REMAINING. THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED, BECAME AIRBORNE, AND TO AVOID DEBRIS AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT CLOSED THE SPOILERS AND ELECTED TO LAND IN THE TREES STRAIGHT AHEAD. BEFORE THAT COULD HAPPEN, A RIGHT CROSSWIND PUSHED THE AIRCRAFT LEFT OF RUNWAY CENTERLINE WHERE THE LEFT WING CONTACTED TREES APPROX. 150' FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY AT APPROX. 40' ALTITUDE. AFTER TREE IMPACT, THE AIRCRAFT SPUN LEFT AND IMPACTED THE GROUND AT A 45 DEGREE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE, WITH THE NOSE POINTING BACK TO THE RUNWAY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB NYC07CA118Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportFranconia, NHThe pilot's failure to obtain the proper touchdown point. A factor in the accident was an encounter with an updraft while on approach.May 13, 2007 · Substantial damage