# NTSB NYC07CA118: Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G103, N39783, Franconia, NH, May 13, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: May 13, 2007, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC) - Place: Franconia, NH - Coordinates: 44.195835, -71.749443 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.1958&lon=-71.7494&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 2 minor - Status: Completed, report June 27, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FSDO/FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 65796 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC07CA118 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/65796/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC07CA118 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to obtain the proper touchdown point. A factor in the accident was an encounter with an updraft while on approach. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with object, landing - object - tree(s) - weather condition - updraft (contributing factor) - proper touchdown point - not obtained, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis After about 2.5 hours of soaring in the Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G-103 glider, the pilot returned to the airport and entered the traffic pattern at 1,200 feet with a "small amount" of spoilers deployed. He turned onto the downwind leg at 800 feet, and used "more spoilers" to descend to 500 feet. He then turned onto the base leg, and at 300 feet and 60 knots airspeed, he turned onto the final leg of the approach and aligned the glider with the runway. He immediately felt the glider had entered rising air, so he performed a full slip with the spoilers deployed; however, the glider did not descend significantly. The pilot waited for the glider to exit the rising air mass, and it continued to descend moderately until about mid-field, when it descended rapidly. The glider touched down about 3/4 down the runway and bounced back into the air. Due to a pile of debris at the end of the runway, the pilot elected to close the spoilers, overfly the debris, and land the glider in the treetops ahead at a slow speed. Before he could accomplish his plan, a crosswind blew the glider towards a tree. The left wing contacted the tree, and the glider subsequently impacted the ground. ## Factual narrative According to the pilot, after about 2.5 hours of soaring in the Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G-103 glider, he returned to the airport and entered the traffic pattern at 1,200 feet with a "small amount" of spoilers deployed. He turned onto the downwind leg at 800 feet, and used "more spoilers" to descend to 500 feet. He then turned onto the base leg, and at 300 feet and 60 knots airspeed, he turned onto the final leg of the approach and aligned the glider with the runway. He immediately felt the glider had entered rising air, so he performed a full slip with the spoilers deployed; however, the glider did not descend significantly. Due to the proximity of the surrounding trees to the glider, the pilot felt that he could not successfully perform an s-turn or a 360-degree turn to lose energy, and instead felt that he should wait for the glider to exit the rising air mass. The glider continued to descend moderately until about mid-field, when it descended rapidly. The glider touched down about 3/4 down the runway and bounced back into the air. Due to a pile of debris at the end of the runway, the pilot elected to close the spoilers, overfly the debris, and land the glider in the treetops ahead at a slow speed. Before he could accomplish his plan, a crosswind blew the glider towards a tree. The left wing contacted the tree, and the glider subsequently impacted the ground. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N39783](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N39783-2013-09-12), registration cancelled 2013-09-12, S/N 3805, built 1983 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G103 - Registry model: [Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G103 TWIN ASTIR](https://openairdocs.org/model/burkhart-grob-flugzeugbau-g103-twin-astir) (registry code 1660202) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Glider - Serial number: 3805 - Airframe hours: 3070 - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, July 1, 2006 - Departed: 1B5, Franconia, NH - Destination: 1B5 - Airport: 1B5, Franconia Airport, runway 36, 2,305 × 150 ft, grass/turf ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 44; injuries: minor; private; seat: front; flight hours: 122 total, 9 in this make and model, 62 as pilot in command, 5 in the last 90 days, 5 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 340° at 10 knots, gusting 16 - Temperature: 55 °F, dew point 21 °F - Observed at: HIE, 14 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 20070513014879A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070513014879A), May 13, 2007: Grob G103TWNASTIR, Franconia, NH, Substantial damage. (-23) On final, at 300' AGL, the aircraft entered rising air. The pilot put the aircraft in a left wing down full slip, with full spoiler deployment. The… 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.