# Accident 20090614016819A: Grob G103CTWINIII, Gregory, MI, June 14, 2009

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 14, 2009, 11:21 local time
- Place: Gregory, MI
- Airport: Richmond Field
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.4417° N, 84.0667° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.4417&lon=-84.0667&mi=10
- Aircraft: N103MS, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N103MS-2011-01-28) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Burkhart Grob G103C TWIN III ACRO (registry code 1660207, https://openairdocs.org/model/burkhart-grob-g103c-twin-iii-acro) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: GROB G103CTWINIII
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 0 total, 0 in this make and model, 0 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN09LA353](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09LA353) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090614016819A

## Narrative

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

GROUND LAUNCH TOW CABLE BROKE ON LAUCH/TAKEOFF.  AIRCRAFT DID NOT ACHIEVE SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO CONTINUE NORMAL FLIGHT.  PILOT INITIATED A 180 DEGREE TURN TO LAND ON AIRPORT PROPERTY.  WITNESS ACCOUNTS AND CRASH SCENE EVIDENCE SUPPORT STALL/SPIN SCENARIO.  POST CRASH FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY CHECK FOR AILERONS, RUDDER, ELEVATOR WERE POSITIVE.  SPEED BRAKES WERE IN STOWED POSITION BUT NON OPERABLE ON POST CRASH CONTINUITY CHECK.

## 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 CEN09LA353](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09LA353), Jun 14, 2009: Burkhart Grob G103C Twin III Acro (N103MS), Gregory, MI, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient airspeed during the turn to return for landing, which resulted an inadvertent stall/spin. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the ground winch…

## Other reports on N103MS (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19990828036779A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990828036779A), Aug 28, 1999: Grob G103CTWINIII (N103MS), San Antonio, TX, Substantial damage. (.4) The wing of the glider struck a tree when the solo student pilot was correcting the flight path to align the glider with the runway centerline during the…

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.