# NTSB LAX01LA249: Burkhart Grob G 103 Twin II, N4805R, Minden, NV, July 16, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 16, 2001, 16:20 local (23:20 UTC) - Place: Minden, NV - Coordinates: 39.010452, -119.750114 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.0105&lon=-119.7501&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 28, 2002 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 52750 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX01LA249 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/52750/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA249 ## Probable cause The student pilot's early deployment of full spoilers, resulting in an excessive sink rate and subsequent hard landing. A factor was the instructor's lack of time to take remedial action. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - spoiler extension - improper use of, dual student (cause) - remedial action - not possible, pilot in command(cfi) (contributing factor) ## Analysis The instructor said that on their second circuit in the landing pattern, the student was flying the glider within acceptable limits. He was controlling his airspeed and sink rate properly on long final. The glider was approaching runway 30 when they noticed another glider that was much lower and needed priority for the runway. The instructor directed the student to do a sidestep maneuver and land on runway 30 left, a parallel dirt runway. The student began a left sideslip to line up on the parallel runway. The instructor stated that he was controlling the slip properly, and was controlling his sink rate with small applications of the spoilers. During the landing flare, the student applied full spoiler while still 1 to 1 1/2 feet in the air, at approximately 60 knots. The instructor was unable to overcome the rapid nose down pitching moment and the subsequent increase in sink rate. The left wing was slightly lower than the right due to the previous slip maneuver. When the glider landed hard, the left wing made contact with the ground, resulting in a ground loop to the left. The instructor believed that no damage had been done to the glider, but upon exiting the cockpit, he noticed that the tail boom had cracked just ahead of the empennage structure. The instructor stated that in the future, he will place his hand just behind the spoiler control lever and restrict the aft movement to an acceptable position for the flight conditions. ## Factual narrative On July 16, 2001, at 1620 hours Pacific daylight time, a Burkhart Grob G 103 Twin II, N4805R, was substantially damaged when the glider broke in half during a hard landing at the Minden Tahoe Airport, Minden, Nevada. The glider was operated by Soar Minden, Inc. The flight instructor and his student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the dual instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The glider departed the Minden Tahoe airport at 1616, and no flight plan was filed. The flight instructor was interviewed by an investigator from the National Transportation Safety Board. He stated that he and the student were practicing landings at the airport when the accident occurred. The instructor said that on their second circuit in the landing pattern, the student was flying the glider within acceptable limits. He was controlling his airspeed and sink rate properly on long final. The glider was approaching runway 30 when they noticed another glider that was much lower and needed priority for the runway. The instructor directed the student to do a sidestep maneuver and land on runway 30 left, a parallel dirt runway. The student began a left sideslip to line up on the parallel runway. The instructor stated that he was controlling the slip properly, and was controlling his sink rate with small applications of the spoilers. During the landing flare, the student applied full spoiler while still 1 to 1 1/2 feet in the air, at approximately 60 knots. The instructor was unable to overcome the rapid nose down pitching moment and the subsequent increase in sink rate. The left wing was slightly lower than the right due to the previous slip maneuver. When the glider landed hard, the left wing made contact with the ground, resulting in a ground loop to the left. The instructor believed that no damage had been done to the glider, but upon exiting the cockpit, he noticed that the tail boom had cracked just ahead of the empennage structure. The instructor stated that in the future, he will place his hand just behind the spoiler control lever and restrict the aft movement to an acceptable position for the flight conditions. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4805R](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4805R), registered now, S/N 3854-K-100, built 1984 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Burkhart Grob G 103 Twin II - Registry model: [Burkhart Grob G 103 TWIN II](https://openairdocs.org/model/burkhart-grob-g-103-twin-ii) (registry code 1660203) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Glider - Serial number: 3854-K-100 - Airframe hours: 7246.4 - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Soar Minden, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Aerobatic - Last inspection: Annual, May 18, 2001, 69.3 hours before - Departed: MEV, Minden, NV - Destination: MEV, Minden, NV - Airport: MEV, Minden Tahoe Airport, runway 30, 2,260 × 20 ft, dirt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 60; injuries: none; flight instructor; last flight review December 11, 1999; seat: rear; flight hours: 1,040 total, 607 in this make and model, 735 as pilot in command, 115 in the last 90 days, 51 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; age 54; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: front; flight hours: 4,000 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 270° at 16 knots, gusting 20 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 22,000 ft overcast - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 37 °F - Altimeter: 29.86 inHg - Observed at: KRNO, 60 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 20010716017739A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010716017739A), Jul 16, 2001: Grob G103ATWIN2, Minden, NV, Substantial damage. (-23) The student pilot inadvertently deployed spoilers 1-1.5 feet above ground during landing. The aircraft abruptly struck the ground causing separation of… 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.