# Accident 20240809009359A: Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G103 TWIN ASTIR, Minden, NV, August 9, 2024

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 9, 2024, 11:30 local time
- Place: Minden, NV
- Airport: Minden
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.9915° N, 119.6293° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.9915&lon=-119.6293&mi=10
- Aircraft: N125CC, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N125CC) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G103 TWIN ASTIR (registry code 1660202, https://openairdocs.org/model/burkhart-grob-flugzeugbau-g103-twin-astir) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BURKHART GROB FLUGZEUGBAU G103 TWIN ASTIR
- Reported engine: NONE NONE
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot, student
- Pilot flight hours: 101 total, 10 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR24LA274](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR24LA274) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240809009359A

## Narrative

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

ARRIVED AT KMEV AROUND 10:30AM TO PRE-FLIGHT THE GLIDER AND EVERYTHING WAS OKAY WITH THE PREFLIGHT SO HAD THE GLIDER TOWED TO THE STAGING AREA AND LAUNCHED AROUND 11:45. RELEASED FROM AEROTOW ABOUT 5MI NE OF THE AIRPORT AT ABOUT 7400’ AND CLIMBED TO ABOUT 10,400’. AT THIS POINT I WENT ON GLIDE EAST TO BISMARCK PEAK AND ARRIVED AROUND 9500’ AND ENCOUNTERED SINKING AIR, INSTEAD OF TURNING AROUND TO FLY BACK INTO THE SINKING AIR WE FLEW SOUTH TO MINERAL PEAK EXPECTING TO FIND LIFT WHERE I USUALLY DO BUT THE AIR WAS ALSO SINKING AND ARRIVED AT ROUGHLY THE PEAK HEIGHT. I DECIDED TO HEAD BACK WEST TO THE AIRPORT BUT FOUND NO LIFTING AIR AND THE HEADWIND WAS SIGNIFICANT AT THE LOWER ALTITUDE. AT AROUND 1000’ AGL OVER A DIRT ROAD (38.9913983,-119.6275469) I CHOSE TO COMMIT TO LANDING AS I DEEMED IT WAS THE SAFEST OPTION SINCE I COULD NO LONGER SEE THE AIRPORT CLEARLY. CIRCLING OVER THE DIRT ROAD I COULD TELL THERE WAS A GRADUAL INCLINE SO I DECIDED TO APPROACH IT FROM THE DOWNHILL SIDE AND LAND UPHILL. AFTER TURNING BASE I MANAGED TO SET UP ON FINAL APPROACH WITH PLENTY OF ROAD REMAINING. ONCE I TOUCHED DOWN THE WING HIT SOME ROCKS AND BRUSH ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHICH WAS ROUGHLY 2FT HIGHER THAN THE CENTER OF THE ROAD. THIS SPUN THE GLIDER AROUND TO FACE THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE FINAL APPROACH AT WHICH POINT THE GLIDER CAME TO A STOP.

ON THE GROUND I NOTICED STRONG GUSTS UPHILL (15KTS) BUT CALM WINDS BETWEEN GUSTS. IT WAS ALSO IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE DEPTH OF THE ROAD AND THE RAISED SIDES FROM 1000FT ABOVE THE GROUND WHILE TRYING TO IDENTIFY HAZARDS IN THE ROAD. ULTIMATELY, THE LEFT WING STRIKING A ROCK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THAT WAS RAISED CAUSED THE GLIDER TO SPIN 180 DEG ONCE ON THE GROUND AND DURING THE SPIN I THINK THE FUSELAGE STRUCK THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD CAUSING DAMAGE TO IT.

WE WERE BOTH ABLE TO EXIT THE GLIDER NORMALLY, UNINJURED. AT WHICH POINT WE NOTIFIED OTHER CLUB MEMBERS AND HAD A FRIEND MEET US OUT THERE WITH THE TRAILER. WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE GLIDER IN THE TRAILER BUT THE FUSELAGE WAS FURTHER SEPARATED WHEN PULLING IT IN.

ATTACHED ARE IMAGES BEFORE MOVING THE GLIDER INTO THE TRAILER.

## 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 WPR24LA274](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR24LA274), Aug 9, 2024: Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G103 Twin Astir (N125CC), Minden, NV, substantial damage. Probable cause: The glider’s encounter with atmospheric conditions where the lift was not sufficient to maintain flight and a subsequent collision with an obstacle during an off-field landing.

## Other reports on N125CC (1)

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

- [Incident 19960922033389I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960922033389I), Sep 22, 1996: Grob G103TWNASTIR (N125CC), Boulder, CO, Minor damage. Narrative: just after takeoff, the towing aircraft experienced downdrafts and released the glider in tow. Glider completed a landing in vacant field just west…

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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