# NTSB LAX96LA135: Burkhart Grob G102, N851BG, Minden, NV, March 14, 1996 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 14, 1996, 11:00 local (19:00 UTC) - Place: Minden, NV - Coordinates: 39.01073, -119.749778 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.0107&lon=-119.7498&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report September 19, 1996 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 29390 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX96LA135 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/29390/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX96LA135 ## Probable cause the pilot's misjudgment of distance and altitude from the airport, which resulted in an off-airport forced landing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Forced landing, approach - weather condition - no thermal lift - distance/altitude - misjudged, pilot in command (cause) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, emergency descent/landing - terrain condition - soft - terrain condition - berm ## Analysis The pilot reported that he received a weather briefing which indicated the possibility of ridge lift. Following a normal takeoff and climb, he released from the tow plane, when the glider was at about 7,000 feet mean sea level (msl), 4 miles from the 4,718 foot msl airport, and 2 miles from the ridge. The pilot further reported that he encountered some ridge lift, but experienced a fairly substantial sink rate by the time he had descended to 6,200 feet msl. The rate of sink increased, and he realized that he was not high enough to return to the airport. The pilot made a forced landing in a soft, muddy dirt field, about 0.25 mile from the airport. During rollout, the glider collided with a dirt berm. ## Factual narrative On March 14, 1996, at 1100 hours Pacific standard time, a Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau, G102 Club Astir IIIB, N851BG, collided with a berm while making an off-airport landing during a personal flight from the Douglas County Airport, Minden, Nevada. The glider was substantially damaged, and the airline transport pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed. The flight originated from Minden at 1020. The pilot reported that he received a weather briefing which indicated the possibility of ridge lift. Following what he described as a normal takeoff and climb, the pilot released from the tow plane when he was at 7,000 feet mean sea level (msl), about 4 miles from the 4,718 foot msl airport, and 2 miles from the ridge. The pilot further reported that he encountered some ridge lift, but descended to 6,200 feet msl. Then, a fairly substantial sink rate was experienced and he realized that he was not high enough to return to the airport. The pilot made a forced landing in a soft, muddy dirt field, about 0.25 miles from the airport. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N851BG](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N851BG), registered now, S/N 5639 CB (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Burkhart Grob G102 - Registry model: [Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G102 CLUB ASTIR IIIB](https://openairdocs.org/model/burkhart-grob-flugzeugbau-g102-club-astir-iiib) (registry code 1660106) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Glider - Serial number: 5639CB - Engines: unknown - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Soar Minden - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, July 1, 1995 - Departed: MEV - Airport: MEV, Douglas County ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 37; airline transport, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: front; flight hours: 4,375 total, 6 in this make and model, 2,450 as pilot in command, 6 in the last 90 days, 2 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 60° at 14 knots - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none ## 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 19960314024569A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960314024569A), Mar 14, 1996: Grob G102ASTIR, Minden, NV, Substantial damage. Ran out of lift during ridge soaring. Landed in soft muddy field. ## Other investigations on N851BG (1) 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. - [NTSB LAX07CA149](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX07CA149), Apr 29, 2007: Burkhart Grob G102 Club Astir Iiib (N851BG), Minden, NV, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's misjudgment of distance and altitude that resulted in an undershoot of the runway. 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.