LAX90LA282

NTSB accident investigation · Burkhart Grob G-103 · Liano, CA · August 10, 1990

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
August 10, 1990, 12:21 local (19:21 UTC)
Place
Liano, CA
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N4426BBurkhart Grob G-103
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report December 14, 1992
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19900810033249A
Case key
26888

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's inflight decision was improper. Contributing to this accident was the pilot's self-induced pressure.

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.

On ground/water collision with objectLanding - roll
Object - other
Object - tree(s)
Object - fence
In-flight planning/decision - improperPilot in commandCause
Self-induced pressurePilot in commandFactor
Altitude - misjudgedPilot in commandCause

Analysis

The PIC was completing the third and final flight of a certified flight instructor's flight test. Before the flt the FAA inspector briefed the applicant that the flight would entail a simulated emergency tow rope break. At 280 ft AGL the inspector disengaged the tow rope and the applicant immediately executed a left 180 deg turn followed by a right descending nose down turn. This maneuver caused the glider to lose excessive altitude and the PIC was forced to land in the open field. During the landing roll-out the glider struck a large boulder, shrub tree and a barbed wire fence. The applicant stated that he didn't think the glider's altitude was sufficient to clear some wires at the end of the airport boundary but later calculated that the glide ratio would have been sufficient to negotiate the airport. He also stated that he was under extreme self-induced pressure due to the flight test.

Aircraft

Registration
N4426B
Reported as
Burkhart Grob G-103
Category
Glider
Engine
unknown
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Registered owner
John & Karen Stevenson
Airport
Crystal

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
44
Certificate
Commercial
Medical
Unknown
Flight hours
122 total · 118 in this make and model · 89 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
20 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
-0 °F, dew point -0 °F
Observed at
PMD, 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.