# NTSB ERA18TA267: Grob G103 Twin Astir, N72EJ, Groveland, FL, September 22, 2018 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Final report - Date: September 22, 2018, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC) - Place: Groveland, FL - Coordinates: 28.405834, -81.837776 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.4058&lon=-81.8378&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 98381 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA18TA267 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/98381/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98381 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18TA267 ## Probable cause The student pilot's failure to relinquish the flight controls during landing when the flight instructor told him to do so, and the instructor’s subsequent inability to properly control the glider, which led to a hard landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Action: lack of action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Burkhart Grob G103 TWIN ASTIR, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030/cases.md?model=1660211), [All aircraft, 792 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: descent/approach/glide path](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062040): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Attain/maintain not possible; cases with it: [Burkhart Grob G103 TWIN ASTIR, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062040/cases.md?model=1660211), [All aircraft, 809 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062040/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: use of equip/system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015): Personnel issues › Task performance · Instructor/check pilot; cases with it: [Burkhart Grob G103 TWIN ASTIR, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md?model=1660211), [All aircraft, 1,391 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md) - [Communication (personnel): following instructions](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063537): Personnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Burkhart Grob G103 TWIN ASTIR, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063537/cases.md?model=1660211), [All aircraft, 31 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063537/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240); cases with it: [Burkhart Grob G103 TWIN ASTIR, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=1660211), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Approach-VFR pattern final: Attempted remediation/recovery](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060); cases with it: [Burkhart Grob G103 TWIN ASTIR, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md?model=1660211), [All aircraft, 1,422 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md) - [Landing: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [Burkhart Grob G103 TWIN ASTIR, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=1660211), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) ## Analysis The flight instructor and student pilot were conducting an instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that, during the landing, he told the student, “I have the flight controls”; however, the student did not relinquish them. As a result, the instructor was unable to control the glider, which resulted in a hard landing and the student pilot sustaining serious injuries. ## Factual narrative On September 22, 2018, about 1500 eastern daylight time, a Grob G103 Twin Astir glider, N72EJ, sustained minor damage when it was involved in an accident in Groveland, Florida. The flight instructor was not injured, and the student pilot was seriously injured. The glider was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that, during landing, he told the student pilot, “I have the controls”; however, the student pilot did not relinquish them. The flight instructor added that he was unable to control the glider, which resulted in a hard landing and the student pilot sustaining serious injuries. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N72EJ](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N72EJ), registered now, S/N 3253-T-30, built 1979 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Grob G103 TWIN ASTIR (TWIN ASTIR) - Registry model: [Burkhart Grob G103 TWIN ASTIR](https://openairdocs.org/model/burkhart-grob-g103-twin-astir) (registry code 1660211) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Glider - Serial number: 3253-T-30 - Year built: 1979 - Airframe hours: 3560 - Damage: Minor damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Seminole Flying & Soaring Inc - Registered owner: Seminole Flying & Soaring Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 8, 2018 - Departed: 6FL0, Groveland, FL - Destination: 6FL0, Groveland, FL - Airport: 6FL0, Seminole Lake, runway 36, 3,000 × 200 ft, grass/turf - Equipment: Unknown ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 52; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine sea, single-engine sea, multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review September 5, 2017; seat: rear; flight hours: 12,122 total, 2,000 in this make and model, 10,993 as pilot in command, 400 in the last 90 days, 165 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; age 55; injuries: serious; student; medical: class 3, unknown; seat: front; flight hours: 15 total, 12 in this make and model, 0 as pilot in command, 15 in the last 90 days, 15 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 100° at 11 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 90 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: GIF, 21 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). - [Incident 20180922019189I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180922019189I), Sep 22, 2018: Burkhart Grob G103 TWIN ASTIR, Clermont, FL, Minor damage. Upon landing, student did not respond to "I have controls", student would not relinquish controls and made hard landing. ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 17, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98381. 1.9 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 4 pages, 489 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11760593&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=01-01%20NTSB%20form%206120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for record - email from flight instructor (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 62 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12381819&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=01-03%20MFR%20CFI%20Email-Rel.pdf - Excerpt from maintenance records (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 1.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11760414&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=03-01%20Excerpt%20from%20Maintenance%20Records_Redacted-Rel.pdf 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.