- Date
- July 19, 1994, 15:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Tehachapi, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N38366Burkhart Grob G103
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 27, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940719019629A
- Case key
- 28804
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 pilot's failure to secure the canopy before takeoff, and his failure to maintain directional control during landing rollout.
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 pilot planned to give the passenger a demonstration flight in the glider. The operator reported that the rear portion of the glider's canopy opened up during takeoff. The pilot released the tow line and then landed ahead on the remaining runway. After touchdown, the glider ground looped and the empennage separated from the fuselage. The glider's canopy latching mechanism was subsequently examined by an aircraft mechanic. The latching mechanism was found in working order.
Factual narrative
On July 19, 1994, at 1500 Pacific daylight time, a Grob G103, N38366, was substantially damaged during landing on runway 27R at the Mountain Valley Airport, Tehachapi, California. The commercial pilot was not injured during the demonstration flight, and the passenger received minor injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The flight school's operator reported to the National Transportation Safety Board that the glider was being towed behind a Piper PA-25-235, N7092Z, when the rear portion of the glider's canopy opened up during takeoff. The glider pilot released the tow line and then landed ahead on the remaining runway. After touchdown, the glider ground looped and the empennage separated from the fuselage.
The flight school's operator further reported that during the pretakeoff ground check, the rear seated pilot was responsible for closing and locking his portion of the two-piece canopy.
The glider's canopy latching mechanism was subsequently examined by an aircraft mechanic. The latching mechanism was found in working order.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38366
- Reported as
- Burkhart Grob G103
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 3760
- Airframe hours
- 3,065
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Skylark North
- Registered owner
- John P. Chapman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 12, 1994 · 62 hours before
- Departed
- L94 · Mountain Valley, CA
- Destination
- L94 · CA
- Airport
- L94 · Mountain Valley, runway 27R, 5,190 × 60 ft, gravel
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
- 67
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 636 total · 18 in this make and model · 615 as pilot in command · 56 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 30 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.