# NTSB DEN05LA108: Grob G103, N916G, Moriarty, NM, July 9, 2005 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 9, 2005, 12:47 local (18:47 UTC) - Place: Moriarty, NM - Coordinates: 34.986946, -106.01583 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.9869&lon=-106.0158&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 20, 2005 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 61931 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN05LA108 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/61931/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN05LA108 ## Probable cause the glider pilot's intentional tow release at too low an altitude when he erroneously perceived the tow plane was about to crash. A contributing factor was the unsuitable terrain on which to make a landing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Dragged wing,rotor,pod,float or tail/skid, emergency landing - glider/tow release - intentional, pilot in command (cause) - visual/aural perception, pilot in command (cause) - altitude - low (cause) - unsuitable terrain or takeoff/landing/taxi area - encountered, pilot in command (contributing factor) ## Analysis The tow plane pilot said that the winds were 5 to 15 knots "from the west or northwest" and that "25 knot gusts were not uncommon." During the takeoff roll, he saw an "extreme dust devil right in front [of the airplane]" and "paper-sized pieces of cardboard spinning sharply." He momentarily lost control of the tow plane, then noticed the glider was no longer in tow. He flew an abbreviated traffic pattern and landed. It was then that he noticed his propeller had sustained a ground strike. The glider pilot said that after an uneventful aero tow, the tow plane started "pulling up and then touched back down." He said the "left wing [was] low and [the] tail high and right.." He then saw a "puff of smoke" and "couldn't tell if the tow plane had crashed, or was about to crash." He elected to release and perform an emergency landing from an altitude of 75 to 100 feet. After turning 90 degrees to the right, the glider was "close to the ground" so the pilot "leveled the wings and tried to flare." The glider impacted terrain and ground looped, causing substantial damage. Both pilots agreed that the "puff of smoke" seen by the glider pilot was actually dust thrown in the air during the tow plane's propeller strike. ## Factual narrative On July 9, 2005, at 1247 mountain daylight time, a Grob G103, N916G, operated by the Albuquerque Soaring Club and piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during an emergency landing at Moriarty Airport, Moriarty, New Mexico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The local personal flight was being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. The tow plane pilot said that the winds were 5 to 15 knots "from the west or northwest" and that "25 knot gusts were not uncommon." During the takeoff roll, he saw an "extreme dust devil right in front [of the airplane]" and "paper-sized pieces of cardboard spinning sharply." He momentarily lost control of the tow plane, then noticed the glider was no longer in tow. He flew an abbreviated traffic pattern and landed. It was then that he noticed his propeller had sustained a ground strike. The glider pilot said that after an uneventful aero tow, the tow plane started "pulling up and then touched back down." He said the "left wing [was] low and [the] tail high and right.." He then saw a "puff of smoke" and "couldn't tell if the tow plane had crashed, or was about to crash." He elected to release and perform an emergency landing from an altitude of 75 to 100 feet. After turning 90 degrees to the right, the glider was "close to the ground" so the pilot "leveled the wings and tried to flare." The glider impacted terrain and ground looped. A pilot-rated witness said that the pilot "appeared to be attempting a downwind landing when the right wingtip impacted the ground and broke off the glider." Post-accident examination revealed a severed right wing and a severed fuselage aft of the cockpit. Both pilots agreed that the "puff of smoke" seen by the glider pilot was actually dust thrown in the air during the tow plane's propeller strike. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N916G](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N916G-2019-10-05), registration cancelled 2019-10-05, S/N 3753 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Grob G103 - Registry model: [Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G103 TWIN ASTIR](https://openairdocs.org/model/burkhart-grob-flugzeugbau-g103-twin-astir) (registry code 1660202) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Glider - Serial number: 3753 - Airframe hours: 2846 - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Glider tow, Part 91 - Registered owner: Albuquerque Soaring CLub - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, January 1, 2005 - Departed: 0E0, Moriarty, NM - Destination: 0E0, Moriarty, NM - Airport: 0E0, Moriarty Airport, runway 260, 7,700 × 75 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 32; injuries: none; private; last flight review March 1, 2005; seat: front; flight hours: 335 total, 93 in this make and model, 308 as pilot in command, 4 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 0° at 6 knots, gusting 14 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 84 °F, dew point 36 °F - Altimeter: 30.23 inHg - Observed at: CQC, 17 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20050709014079A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050709014079A), Jul 9, 2005: Grob G103TWNASTIR, Moriarty, NM, Substantial damage. (-23) On July 9, 2005, at 1245 MDT, a Grob G-103 glider, N916G, registered to the albuquerque soaring club, ground looped while attempting an emergency landing… ## Other investigations on N916G (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 ATL85LA154](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL85LA154), May 7, 1985: Burkhart Grob G103 (N916G), Williamson, GA, substantial damage 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. --- 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.