- Date
- August 29, 1983, 11:50 local (15:50 UTC)
- Place
- Julian, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N906BGBurkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G103
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830829069299A
- Case key
- 35265
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 student plt & instructor (CFI) were practicing pattern work & landings. During the 1st 3 patterns, the wind was calm, however, by the time they were on their 4th pattern, the wind increased & became gusty. While the student was flying the pattern, he allowed the glider to get low on base leg. The CFI believed there would be no problem, but on final, the airspeed decreased & the CFI took control. He lowered the nose to gain airspeed, but they encountered unexpected, severe sink & wind gradients. Subsequently, the glider contacted the top of corn growing near the end of the rwy. The right wing encountered more of the corn than the left wing & the glider swerved right & impacted the ground sideways.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N906BG
- Reported as
- Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G103 (FLUGZEUGBA)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 3604
- Airframe hours
- 9,810
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- James F. Pletcher
- Registered owner
- Dois F. Grove
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 9, 1983 · 98 hours before
- Departed
- Julian, PA
- Airport
- Ridge Soaring, runway 24, 3,500 × ft, grass/turf
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
- 29
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 1,094 total · 500 in this make and model · 500 as pilot in command · 205 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.