- Date
- May 20, 1994, 12:57 local (16:57 UTC)
- Place
- Ionia, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N140BGBurkhart Grob BG 103
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 12, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940520011839A
- Case key
- 9534
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
a hard landing as a result of the early disconnect of the glider launch/tow equipment.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The sightseeing glider flight was being tow launched by a Piper cub. At an estimated altitude of 100 feet AGL, the tow plane had a complete loss of engine power. The pilot of the tow plane disconnected the glider and made a successful forced landing in a wheat field. The glider pilot attempted to land in the same field. The glider touched down in a nose low attitude, bounced back into the air. When it touched down the second time the tail hit before the landing gear.
Factual narrative
On May 20, 1994, about 1257 eastern daylight time, a Burkhart Grob BG 103, N140BG, sustained substantial damage in an off-airport landing near Ionia, Michigan. During the takeoff sequence, the tow airplane lost engine power, and the tow plane pilot disconnected the glider. Both the airplane and the glider landed in a field near the airport. The tow airplane was not damaged. The sightseeing glider flight originated at the Ionia County Airport. Neither the commercial pilot nor the passenger were injured.
The pilot of the glider stated he landed in a nose-down attitude, the glider bounced back into the air approximately 10-15 feet, and touched down a second time striking the tail before the landing gear touched the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N140BG
- Reported as
- Burkhart Grob BG 103
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 33902-K
- Airframe hours
- 1,875
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Benz Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 6, 1994 · 8 hours before
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 23
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 650 total · 327 in this make and model · 422 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAN, 23 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N140BG · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.