# NTSB FTW98LA014: Burkhart Grob 103, N921G, Caddo Mills, TX, October 3, 1997 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: October 3, 1997, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC) - Place: Caddo Mills, TX - Location: 33.0362° N, 96.2431° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at CADDO MILLS MUNI (7F3), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.0362&lon=-96.2431&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 26, 1998 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 20454 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW98LA014 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/20454/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA014 ## Probable cause the pilot's improper flare and improper recovery from a bounced landing. A factor relating to the accident was: the gusty wind condition. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - weather condition - gusts (contributing factor) - flare - improper, pilot in command (cause) - porpoise/pilot-induced oscillation - encountered, pilot in command - recovery from bounced landing - improper, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis Witnesses at the airport observed the glider land hard and porpoise 3 times while landing on runway 31. After the landing, the pilot was reported to have examined the glider for damage before proceeding to be hooked and towed for a second flight. While performing a preflight inspection, a student pilot and his flight instructor, who were scheduled to fly the glider after the private pilot, discovered that the glider was damaged. Damage to the glider included structural damage to the tail wheel, the rudder assembly, the lower portion of the empennage, and the main landing gear well. The private pilot reported that at the time of the mishap, the winds were from the north at 10 knots with occasional gusts to 15 knots. ## Factual narrative On October 3, 1997, at 1500 central daylight time, a Grob 103 glider, N921G, was substantially damaged while landing near Caddo Mills, Texas. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the glider, was not injured. The glider, owned by a private individual, was being operated by Southwest Soaring Inc., of Caddo Mills, Texas, under Title 14 CFR Part 91, at the time of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight for which a flight plan was not filed. The local flight originated from the Caddo Mills Municipal Airport at approximately 1330. Witnesses at the Caddo Mills Municipal Airport observed the glider land hard and porpoise 3 times while landing on runway 31. After the landing, the pilot was reported to have examined the glider for damage before signaling for the tow plane pilot to come over and proceed to be hooked and towed for a second flight. In the enclosed NTSB Form 6120.1/2, the commercial pilot stated that both of his flights appeared normal in all respects with the exception that he used a higher than normal final approach speed to compensate for the prevailing gusty winds. The private pilot reported that at the time of the mishap, the winds were from the north at 10 knots with occasional gusts to 15 knots. While performing a preflight inspection, a student pilot and his flight instructor, who were scheduled to fly the glider after the commercial pilot's second flight, discovered that the glider was damaged. Examination of the glider by the operator, the FAA inspector and 2 additional maintenance technicians revealed that the damage to the glider included structural damage to the tail wheel, the rudder assembly, the lower portion of the empennage, and the main landing gear well. The tow plane pilot, who also witnessed the gliders' first landing, submitted a statement of his observations. According to the tow pilot, "the first touchdown was hard enough to bounce the Grob back airborne sharply and a second touchdown followed that again bounced the [Grob] 103 back airborne. At the third touchdown the [Grob] 103 stayed on the runway." The commercial pilot stated in the enclosed Pilot/Operator Report, that he considered the damage to the glider to be minor. The commercial pilot had accumulated a total of 93 hours in gliders, of which 16 were in the Grob 103 glider. The documentation submitted by the operator to substantiate the damage incurred by the glider is attached to this report. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N921G](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N921G), registered now, S/N 3741, built 1982 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Burkhart Grob 103 - 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: 3741 - Engines: unknown - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Carol Walker, doing business as Southwest Soaring - Registered owner: Jeff Baird - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: 7F3 - Airport: 7F3, Caddo Mills Municipal, runway 31, 3,999 × 150 ft, concrete ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 38; commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: front; flight hours: 2,874 total, 16 in this make and model, 1,407 as pilot in command, 4 in the last 90 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 360° at 10 knots, gusting 15 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 64 °F ## 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 19971003031259A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971003031259A), Oct 3, 1997: Caddo Mills, TX, Substantial damage. Grob 103 glider porpoised on landing, caddomills, TX (-23) on October 13, 1997, Mr. Christoper d loudan, rented a glider, grob 103 twin ii, serial number L315,… 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.