- Date
- August 9, 1992, 17:05 local (Aug 10, 1992, 00:05 UTC)
- Place
- Truckee, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N103FBBurkhart Grob 103
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 9, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19920809030879A
- Case key
- 27726
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The inadequate aircraft maintenance and flight manuals and unavailable information pertaining to the inspection of the spoiler system. Contributing to this accident was the worn and jammed spoiler attachment limiting block.
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.
Analysis
The flt was rtrng fm a VFR glider senic flt. The plt extdd the spoilers to lose alt while on base leg for rny 19. When the glider reached the desired alt, the plt atmtd to retract the spoiler ctl handle, but it was jammed in the extdd psn. The plt & psgr made svrl atmts to retract the spoiler ctl handle, but without success. Drg this time, the plt flew twd the apch end of the rwy, but with the spoilers extdd, he was unable to reach the rwy. The glider collided with a dirt embankment short of rwy 19. A wreckage exam disclosed that the fiberglass spoiler extension block was excessively worn & allowed the spoiler to extd byd its normal value. This condition allowed the spoiler to jam on the fence cap recess on the upper surface of the wing. Neither the flt nor maint manual addressed inspn of the spoiler attachment or extension limiting block. The glider rcvd an annual inspn 4 days bfr the acdnt. The inspn was performed iaw the manufacturers directives.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N103FB
- Reported as
- Burkhart Grob 103
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 33930
- Airframe hours
- 2,000
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Soar Truckee, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Soar Truckee, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 5, 1992 · 10 hours before
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
- 62
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 22,000 total · 30 in this make and model · 16,000 as pilot in command · 84 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.